CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 1707 HOURS (5:07 PM) ON FEBRUARY 27, 2013, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED AT 4232 COOPER AVENUE, ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN. CONSUMERS ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND FIELD PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT THE SITE AT VARIOUS TIMES BETWEEN 1715 AND 1809 IN RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT. WORKING WITH LOCAL POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, CONSUMERS ENERGY EXCAVATED AND SHUT OFF THE GAS SUPPLY TO 4232 COOPER AVE AT 1836 HOURS. INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE INCIDENT REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE CREWS DID NOT FOLLOW COMPANY BORING PROCEDURES DURING INSTALLATION OF A NEW MAIN ALONG COOPER AVENUE. AS A RESULT, THE OPERATION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE STEEL GAS SERVICE LOCATED AT 4232 COOPER AVENUE IN ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN, RESULTING IN POSSIBLE BELOW-GRADE GAS MIGRATION INTO THE STRUCTURE. INVESTIGATION ESTABLISHED THAT CREWS DID NOT FOLLOW CONSUMERS ENERGY PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS TO EXCAVATE AND EXPOSE ALL ACTIVE SERVICES PRIOR TO PERFORMING BORING OPERATIONS. THESE CREWS ALSO FAILED TO FOLLOW COMPANY GAS LEAK RESPONSE STANDARDS. NOTE (5/15/2013 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT): DESPITE THE NEARBY FACILITIES BEING STAKED CORRECTLY (PART G3-12) AND LOCATE MARKS BEING VISIBLE WITHIN THE VICINITY OF THE BORING AREA (PART G3-11), FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT THERE WAS MINIMAL OBSERVATION OF STAKING FLAGS OR PAINT MARKING AT SOME SERVICE LOCATIONS ALONG COOPER AVENUE. THAT MARKING WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY APPARENT DURING POST-INCIDENT OBSERVATIONS MAY BE DUE IN PART TO LARGE AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS IN THE AREA (AS WELL AS RECENT SNOWFALL) PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTING DIRECT OBSERVATION OF ALL FACILITY STAKING ALONG COOPER AVENUE.