NATIONAL FUEL GAS DISTRIBUTION CORP - NEW YORK
gas_distribution Incident — ALFRED, NY — November 11, 2012
Incident Information
| Incident Date | November 11, 2012 |
| Operator | NATIONAL FUEL GAS DISTRIBUTION CORP - NEW YORK |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | ALFRED |
| State | NY |
| County | ALLEGANY |
| Coordinates | 42.26288, -77.78879 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE BY THIRD PARTY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 1 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $500 |
| Emergency Response | $2,500 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"AT APPROXIMATELY 5:10PM ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH, 2012, THE APARTMENT COMPLEX AT 34 GLEN STREET, ALFRED, NY 14802 SUFFERED AN EXPLOSION. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES. THERE WAS 1 INJURY AND 14 RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INDICATED A WOODEN LANDSCAPING STAKE TO BE USED FOR SNOW FENCING PUNCTURED THE NATURAL GAS PLASTIC SERVICE LATERAL 15 FEET FROM THE BUILDING WALL. GAS MAY HAVE MIGRATED INTO THE BUILDING THROUGH AN ADJACENT UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL SERVICE FEED WHERE IT IGNITED. THE LOCAL ONE-CALL CENTER (DIG SAFELY NEW YORK) WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE EXCAVATION ACTIVITY. AT THE LOCATION OF THE PUNCTURE, THE SERVICE LINE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20"" DEEP. SUBSEQUENT TO THE EVENT, THE SERVICE LINE INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT WAS CUT OFF AT THE MAIN AND ABANDONED."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.