NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP
gas_distribution Incident — ALBANY, NY
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | ALBANY |
| State | NY |
| County | ALBANY |
| Coordinates | 42.67920, -73.84648 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR WAS EXCAVATING SEWER TO MAKE REPAIRS CAUSED BY PREVIOUS EXCAVATING DAMAGE CAUSED BY SAME CONTRACTOR. CONTRACTOR CALLED DIG SAFE REQUESTING MARK-OUT FOR PIPELINE FACILITIES IN AREA. DIG SAFE ISSUED TICKET, NATIONAL GRID RECEIVED TICKET, NATIONAL GRID LOCATORS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF LOCATING FACILITIES, BUT HAD NOT YET COMPLETED MARK-OUTS. CONTRACTOR COMMENCED EXCAVATION ACTIVITIES 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF FIRST ALLOWABLE EXCAVATION DATE. CONTRACTOR SUBSEQUENTLY WAS ISSUED A CITATION BY NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION RELATED TO INSUFFICIENT NOTIFICATION. EXCAVATOR PUNCTURED 12 INCH STEEL PIPELINE OPERATING AT 220 PSIG. APPROXIMATELY 20 RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED BY FIRE OFFICIALS. NATIONAL GRID PERSONNEL CONTROLLED THE ESCAPING GAS BY CLOSING ISOLATING VALVES ON EITHER SIDE OF DAMAGED SECTION. NO CUSTOMER INTERRUPTIONS RESULTED, ALTHOUGH DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPELINE WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE. ESCAPING GAS DID NOT IGNITE OR EXPLODE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION. ESCAPING GAS WAS CONTROLLED WITHIN 1 HOUR OF NOTIFICATION.
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.