NEW ULM PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Incident Narrative

ON 9-28-2010 RECEIVED A CALL AT 1:50 PM FROM MIKE SELVIG, WATER DEPT. EMPLOYEE. HE WAS WORKING IN THE AREA, AND BYSTANDERS TOLD HIM THEY SMELLED GAS. MR. SELVIG RADIOED GARY PORTNER IN THE GAS DEPT. GARY THEN DISPATCHED PAUL MACHO AND DAVE O'BRIEN AND THEY RESPONED TO THIS GAS CALL. DAVE O'BRIEN FOUND GAS LEAKING AT 2:00 PM AND PAUL MACHO CALLED 911. SHUT OFF GAS REGULATING STSTION THAT FEEDS THAT AREA AT 2:15PM SET UP COMMOND POST AND PAUL MACHO WAS NAMED INCIDMENT COMMANDER. GARY PORTNER, GAS DEPT. SUPERVISOR, THEN CALLED THE STATE DUTY OFFICER AT 2:15 PM CASE #11485 CHECKED BOTH SIDES OF THE COTTONWOOD RIVER FOR GAS WITH CGI FOR UNDERGROUND MIGRATION AND FOUND NO GAS. WE ALSO CHECKED ALL HOMES AND BUSINESS IN THE AREA WITH CGI'S. AND FOUND NO GAS. WE CHECKING CHECKING #'S UNTIL THE GAS MAIN WAS BLED OFF. RELEASED FIRE DEPAETMENT AT 2:40 PM. WENT HOUSE TO HOUSE FROM2:30-2:40 PM AND TURNED OFF GAS SERVICES; 25 HOMES WERE TURNED OFF. AT APPROXIMATELY 2:30 PM THE GAS DEPT. CLERICAL ASSISANT STARTED NOTIFYING ALL AFFECTED CUSTOMERS BY PHONE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE GAS WAS TURNED OFF TO THEIR HOMES AND THAT EMERGENCY REPAIR WAS BEING CONDUCTED AT 2:41 PM THE GAS DEPT CALLED AN EMERGENCY LOCATE INTO GOPHER STATE ONE CALL TO EXPOSE THE MAIN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COTTONWOOD RIVER. GAS DEPT. EMPLOYS THEN CAPPED AND TESTED THE MAIN THAT WILL BE PUT INTO SERVICE. GARY PORTNER, GAS DEPT. SUPERVISOR, THEN CALLED THE FEDERAL DUTY OFFICER AT 4:35 PM CASE #99425 ON 9-29-2010 AT 9:00AM THE GAS DEPT. CALLED AN EMERGENCY LOCATE IN TO GOPHER STATE ONE CALL. GAS DEPT. EMPOLYEES THEN RAN A 1"" CTS GAS SERVICE THROUGH THE ELECTRIC DEPT. EMPTY 5"" CONDUIT LINE 600 FEET WITH THE AID OFF THE ELEC. DEPT. AND STREET DEPT. TEMPORARY GAS SERVICE WAS RESTORED ON COTTONWOOD STREET BY 7:30PM. WHEN THE COTTONWOOD RIVER RECEDS, THE GAS DEPT. WILL INSTALL A NEW 4"" MAIN UNDER THE RIVER BED