DOMINION EAST OHIO

Incident Narrative

THE DOMINION NETWORK THAT IS UTILIZED TO SERVE FAIRPORT HARBOR CONSISTS OF STEEL AND PLASTIC LOW PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION PIPING. GAS IS SUPPLIED THROUGH THREE DISTRICT REGULATOR STATIONS FROM THE NORTHEAST, EAST AND SOUTHWEST AREAS OF THE VILLAGE. THESE THREE STATIONS CONTAIN TWO CONTROL/MONITOR REGULATORS SET AT 6.5 OUNCES (OZ) AND 8.5 OUNCES PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE RESPECTIVELY. THE NORTHEAST STATION IS EQUIPPED WITH A HI-LO FOR MONITORING SYSTEM PRESSURE THAT IS SET AT 8.5 OZ AND 4.5 OZ RESPECTIVELY. THE EAST STATION ALSO CONTAINS A RELIEF DEVICE FOR AUDIBLE WARNING SET AT 12OZ. AT APPROXIMATELY 6:37 A.M. ON 01/24/2011, DOMINION RECEIVED A HIGH ALARM FROM THE HI-LO MONITOR AT THE NORTHEAST STATION. A TECHNICIAN WAS IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED TO THE AREA. THE TECHNICIAN NOTED THE RELIEF BLOWING AS HE PASSED THE EAST STATION AND NOTIFIED SUPERVISION. THE TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AT THE NORTHEAST STATION AT 7:15 A.M., AND SHUT THE INLET VALVE TO THE NORTHEAST STATION. HE PROCEEDED TO THE EAST STATION, SHUT THE INLET VALVE AND OBTAINED A SYSTEM PRESSURE READING OF 8.5 PSIG. SUPERVISION WAS UPDATED THAT THE NORTHEAST AND EAST STATIONS WERE NOT SUPPLYING GAS, AND BOTH STATIONS HAD BEEN SHUT-IN. SUPERVISION ADVISED THE TECHNICIAN TO OPEN THE INLET TO THE EAST STATION AND PROCEED TO THE SOUTHWEST STATION. UPON ARRIVAL HE NOTED THE SOUTHWEST STATION WAS SUPPLYING GAS AND SHUT THE INLET VALVE. SUPERVISION ADVISED HIM TO RETURN TO THE EAST STATION AND MONITOR THE SYSTEM PRESSURE. AT 8:05 A.M. THE TECHNICIAN RETURNED TO THE EAST STATION AND NOTED THE RELIEF HAD STOPPED BLOWING. HE VERIFIED THAT SYSTEM PRESSURE HAD RETURNED TO 6.5OZ. LEAK SURVEY OF THE FAIRPORT HARBOR SYSTEM WAS CONDUCTED ON 01/24/2011 AND REPEATED ON 01/25/2011. CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE CREWS REPAIRED ALL HAZARDOUS LEAKS UPON DISCOVERY AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON REPAIR OF NON-HAZARDOUS LEAKS. DOMINION FIELD PERSONNEL REMAINED IN THE AREA OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS, RESTORING SERVICE TO 1300 AFFECTED CUSTOMERS. DOMINION HAS WORKED WITH FAIRPORT HARBOR VILLAGE OFFICIALS AND THE AMERICAN RED CROSS PROVIDING HOUSING AND SHORT-TERM FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN NEED UNTIL SERVICE RESTORATION. ELEVEN HOMES RECEIVED SEVERE DAMAGE FROM FIRE AND 150 HOMES REQUIRED APPLIANCE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. DOMINION AND ITS CONTRACTORS HAVE PROVIDED ALL NECESSARY HOUSE LINE REPAIRS, APPLIANCE REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT. FOR NINE STRUCTURES CONSIDERED TO BE UNINHABITABLE, DOMINION CONTINUES TO WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RESOLVING CUSTOMER CLAIMS. DOMINION WORKED WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF OHIO, FAIRPORT HARBOR FIRE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATORS AND THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL IN REMOVING THE REGULATORS AND OTHER ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT FROM THE SOUTHWEST STATION. THE STATION EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE GAS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE (GTI) FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION AND INVESTIGATION. AFTER GTI REMOVED AN OILY SUBSTANCE AND CLEANED THE COMPONENTS WITH ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, THE REGULATORS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WERE TESTED IN JUNE AND AUGUST WITH ALL OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES PRESENT. THE REGULATING EQUIPMENT WAS DETERMINED TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED DURING INCREASING AND DECREASING FLOW AND PRESSURE CONDITIONS. THE REGULATING EQUIPMENT WAS FOUND TO OPERATE PROPERLY WITH THE FLUIDS REMOVED. IT IS CURRENTLY BELIEVED THAT THE PRESENCE OF PIPELINE FLUIDS AND GAS TEMPERATURE DROP ACROSS THE REGULATORS CAUSED THE REGULATORS TO MALFUNCTION.