MONTANA - DAKOTA UTILITIES CO
gas_distribution Incident — BILLINGS, MT — June 8, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | June 8, 2011 |
| Operator | MONTANA - DAKOTA UTILITIES CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | BILLINGS |
| State | MT |
| County | YELLOWSTONE |
| Coordinates | 45.80115, -108.55145 |
Cause
| Cause | NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | HEAVY RAINS/FLOODS |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $2,500 |
| Emergency Response | $5,000 |
| Other Costs | $10,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
HIGH RAINFALL TOTALS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE LED TO UNSTABLE GROUND SHIFTING/MOVEMENT IN THE POOR ROCKY SOIL CONDITIONS ALONG THE RIMS AREA IN BILLINGS. THE STEEL SERVICE LINE FAILED IN SERVICE RESULTING IN A MAJOR LEAK IN THE LINE. HIGH PRESSURES GENERATED FROM THE MOVEMENT OF THE ROCKS AND SOIL IN THE GROUND BROKE THE SERVICE LINE AT A FIELD BEND LOCATED CLOSE TO THE HOUSE. ANALYSIS OF THE SERVICE LINE ITSELF SHOWS A LARGE SUDDEN CATASHROPHIC BREAK IN THE LINE.
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.