PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON MARCH 12, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 1445 HOURS, PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC (PG&E) WAS NOTIFIED THAT A THIRD PARTY DAY LABORER HIRED BY A HOMEOWNER, STRUCK A 1/2-INCH PLASTIC GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICE LINE. THE DAY LABORER WAS USING A PICK IN THE HOMEOWNER'S FRONT YARD TO EXCAVATE FOR THE SEWER LINE, WHEN HE STRUCK THE GAS LINE AND CAUSED A RELEASE OF GAS. THE HOMEOWNER AND THE LABORER DID NOT NOTIFY USA PRIOR TO DIGGING. THE GAS IGNITED AND CAUSED OVER $50,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO A NEARBY FOUR-PLEX PROPERTY. PG&E'S GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (GSR) ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1455 HOURS AND THE FLOW OF GAS WAS STOPPED AT 1550 HOURS BY DIGGING AND SQUEEZING THE 1/2-INCH PLASTIC LINE. TWO CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCED GAS SERVICE INTERRUPTION AT THIS BRANCH SERVICE LOCATION AND WERE RESTORED BY MARCH 16, 2013 AT 1527 HOURS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO FATALITIES AND LESS THAN 3 MILLION CUBIC FEET OF GAS WAS RELEASED. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE CPUC AND DOT BECAUSE THE COST OF DAMAGES IS GREATER THAN $50,000 AND MAJOR BAY AREA NEWS MEDIA WAS PRESENT ON SCENE.