COLUMBIA GAS OF VIRGINIA INC
gas_distribution Incident — GAINESVILLE, VA — April 17, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | April 17, 2011 |
| Operator | COLUMBIA GAS OF VIRGINIA INC |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | GAINESVILLE |
| State | VA |
| County | PRINCE WILLIAM |
| Coordinates | 38.79919, -77.61574 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE BY THIRD PARTY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $60,219 |
| Emergency Response | $0 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON SATURDAY 4-17-11 AT 20:25 COLUMBIA GAS OF VIRGINIA (CGV) RECEIVED A CALL FROM GENERAL EXCAVATING INC. (GEI) STATING THEY HAD DAMAGED A 4 INCH STEEL GAS MAIN AT 14200 JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY IN GAINESVILLE, VA. 20155 AT 20:17 HRS. CGV ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 21:03 HRS. TO FIND A 4 INCH STEEL MAIN SEVERED IN HALF BY A HITACHI 450 TRACK EXCAVATOR. GEI HAD BEEN EXCAVATING TO INSTALL A 23 INCH CONDUIT FOR A FUTURE WATERLINE. THE PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE. THE CRITICAL VALVE WAS TURNED OFF TO ISOLATE THE SECTION OF MAIN WHICH EFFECTED 862 CGV CUSTOMERS AT 22:38 HRS. GEI WAS EXCAVATING UNDER MISS UTILITY TICKET #A109701138. GEI HAD ALREADY SCHEDULED A ROAD CLOSURE WITH VDOT SO TRAFFIC FLOW WAS NOT INTERRUPTED. THE ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION INDICATED THAT CGV'S THIRD PARTY LOCATOR, UTILIQUEST FAILED TO MARK THE 4 INCH STEEL GAS MAIN AS INDICATED ON COMPANY FACILITY MAPS. CGV CREWS COMPLETED REPAIRS ON MONDAY 4-18-2011 AT 13:00 HRS. AND BEGAN THE PURGING PROCESS WITH CUSTOMER RELIGHTS TO FOLLOW."
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.