NORTHERN STATES POWER CO OF MINNESOTA
gas_distribution Incident — SAINT PAUL, MN — March 24, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | March 24, 2011 |
| Operator | NORTHERN STATES POWER CO OF MINNESOTA |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | SAINT PAUL |
| State | MN |
| County | RAMSEY |
| Coordinates | 44.95584, -93.16957 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | EQUIPMENT NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $7,343 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"PART A #16 - TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WAS NOT TRACKED SINCE SEVERAL COMMERCIAL OR PUBLIC BUILDINGS WERE EVACUATED. 12 BUILDINGS WERE EVACUATED. A 12 INCH END CAP BLEW OFF THE END OF A 60 PSIG STEEL GAS MAIN WHILE RESETTING THE SEALING ELEMENT DURING A STOPPLE PROCEDURE. A TEMPORARY COMPRESSION END CAP WAS INSTALLED ON THE END OF THE MAIN. AS THE TAPPER WORKED TO RESET THE STOPPER, GAS IMMEDIATELY BUILT UP ON THE TEMPORARY COMPRESSION CAP AND THE PRESSURE CAUSED THE CAP TO BLOW OFF THE MAIN. WHEN THE MAIN WAS BLOWING THE TAPPER MOMENTARILY WAS ABLE TO RE-STOP THE FLOW OF GAS BY RESETTING THE STOPPER BUT THEN THE SEALING ELEMENT ON THE STOPPER PARTIALLY ROLLED CAUSING A VOID OF APPROXIMATELY 12 SQUARE INCHES AROUND THE SEALING ELEMENT, ALLOWING GAS TO ESCAPE."
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.