CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORP

Incident Narrative

CENTRAL HUDSON WAS NOTIFIED OF A STRUCTURE FIRE AT 8 MARPLE ROAD FROM THE DUTCHESS COUNTY 911 CENTER, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH AT 19:28. A CENTRAL HUDSON SERVICE TRUCK ARRIVED ON SITE AT 19:48. THE ELECTRIC SERVICE WAS DROPPED AND THE GAS METER SHUT OFF TO 8 MARPLE ROAD AT 19:59. A COMMERCIAL REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED ON SITE AT 20:02 AND SMELT AN ODOR OF GAS IN THE AIR. ASSISTANCE OF ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL REPRESENTATIVES WAS REQUESTED UPON HIS ARRIVAL. READINGS WERE TAKEN AND FOUND IN THE STORM DRAINS, IN THE STREET AND INSIDE THE HOME ACROSS THE STREET AT 9 MARPLE RD. RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED AT 9 MARPLE ROAD, IN ADDITION TO THE INDIVIDUALS AT 8 MARPLE RD. ON SITE PERSONNEL AT 20:18 REQUESTED A GAS CREW AND SUPERVISION TO BE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE. THE POUGHKEEPSIE WATER DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO ON SITE AND ASSISTED CENTRAL HUDSON PERSONNEL IN LOCATING MAN HOLES IN THE AREA TO OPEN AND VENT. CENTRAL HUDSON GAS CREWS IDENTIFIED A LEAK IN THE STREET BETWEEN THE TWO EVACUATED HOMES OVER THE 6"" LOW PRESSURE STEEL MAIN. UPON EXCAVATION, A 3/16"" SEPARATION IN A JOINT WAS FOUND AND A 6"" LEAK REPAIR CLAMP WAS INSTALLED TO REPAIR THE LEAK AT 01:30 ON FEBRUARY 9TH. THE ONSITE COMMERCIAL REPRESENTATIVES CONTINUED TO MONITOR HOMES AND DRAINS FOR READINGS WHILE THE REPAIR WORK WAS TAKING PLACE. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH AT 03:48 9 MARPLE ROAD WAS CLEARED TO RE-OCCUPY AND ALL SERVICES WERE RESTORED. THE SERVICE TO 8 MARPLE ROAD WAS RETIRED. CENTRAL HUDSON PERSONNEL REMAINED ONSITE AERATING THE GROUND THROUGH FEBRUARY 10TH UNTIL 0% READINGS OF GAS WERE RECEIVED. CENTRAL HUDSON HAS RECEIVED THE RESULTS OF THE LABORATORY TESTING OF THE SECTION OF PIPE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THE EXTERIOR OF THE PIPE WAS FOUND TO BE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. THE ANALYSIS SHOWS THE FAILURE OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE WELD TO BE THE RESULT OF EXTERNAL LOADS EXCEEDING THE CAPABILITIES OF A WELD JOINT THAT EXHIBITED COMPLETE LACK OF PENETRATION SINCE ITS INSTALLATION IN 1931. EXTERNAL CORROSION WAS NOT A FACTOR, SINCE NONE WAS OBSERVED, INDICATING THE WRAPPING AND CATHODIC PROTECTION OF THIS PIPE WERE SATISFACTORY. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS INCOMPLETE PENETRATION OF THE WELD METAL JOINING THE TWO PIPES. HOWEVER, THE WELD WAS SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO REMAIN IN SERVICE FOR OVER 80 YEARS.