ASHBURN GAS DEPT, CITY OF

Incident Narrative

CITY OF ASHBURN PROPANE CONTAMINATION OF NATURAL GAS SYSTEM SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 EVENT SUMMARY THE CITY OF ASHBURN RECEIVED A CALL ON SEPT. 24, 2010 AT CITY HALL FROM KEITH-A-QUE RESTAURANT REPORTING THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PILOT LIGHTS ON THEIR APPLIANCES. THE CALL WAS RECEIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30AM BY AMANDA BRIDGES. SHE DISPATCHED THE INFORMATION TO THE GAS DEPARTMENT FOR INVESTIGATION. JAMES YOUNG, BRUCE BURGESS, BUSTER FELTON, AND MARIO BYRD PERFORMED THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION AT KEITH-A-QUE, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 249 EAST WASHINGTON AVE. DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION GAS PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WERE NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ASHBURN GAS SUPERINTENDENT ROGER GIDDENS REPORTED TO THEIR LOCATION AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00AM TO HELP DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. DURING THE INVESTIGATION OTHER LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT TOWN REPORTED HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. PROPANE ODOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE PRESENT WITHIN THE NATURAL GAS SYSTEM. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00PM CITY PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT PROPANE WAS BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE NATURAL GAS SYSTEM FROM FOUR 500 GALLON PROPANE TANKS CONNECTED TO A FUEL LINE AT THE HAT CREEK PEANUT COMPANY INC. LOCATED AT 465 BUSSEY ROAD, SYCAMORE GA. 31790. LATER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THIS METERED SERVICE WAS DELIVERING LINE PRESSURE TO THE HAT CREEK PER AGREEMENT BETWEEN ASHBURN AND HAT CREEK. HAT CREEK CONNECTED THE PROPANE TANKS TO ITS INTERNAL PIPING IN AN ATTEMPT TO SUPPLEMENT ITS NATURAL GAS SUPPLY DURING HIGH DEMAND PERIODS. THE ABSENCE OF A SERVICE REGULATOR AT THE METER ALLOWED THE HIGHER-PRESSURE PROPANE TO FLOW BACKWARD THROUGH THE METER INTO ASHBURN'S NATURAL GAS FACILITIES. GEORGIA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (GPSC) INSPECTORS JOSH LAIRSEY AND ROB PACER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE EVENT AT APPROXIMATELY 1:45PM ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2010. ASHBURN CITY MANAGER BEN TAYLOR ESTABLISHED A COMMAND CENTER AT CITY HALL TO DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION WITH ALL CITY PERSONNEL. DUE TO THE UNKNOWN VOLUME AND EXTENT OF PROPANE IN THE NATURAL GAS SYSTEM, CITY PERSONNEL DECIDED TO BEGIN SHUTTING OFF ALL SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. MUTUAL ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED FROM AND PROVIDED BY THE CITIES OF DOUGLAS, TIFTON, CORDELE, SYLVESTER AND FITZGERALD. ASHBURN CONFIRMED THAT THESE CITIES' PERSONNEL HAVE APPROPRIATE OPERATOR QUALIFICATIONS TO PERFORM THE REQUESTED TASK. THE SHUT OFF PROCESS BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 4:00PM ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2010. ACTING ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM GPSC TO REPORT THIS EVENT TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC) AS AN INCIDENT PURSUANT TO 49 CFR PART 191, BEN TAYLOR REQUESTED THAT THE SUBSCRIBED REGULATORY COMPLIANCE SERVICE (SRCS) MAKE THE TELEPHONIC REPORT ON BEHALF OF ASHBURN. ON 9/24/2010 AT 3:16PM, SRCS MANAGER BILL DEFOOR CALLED THE NRC AND GAVE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION TO KEVIN WILLIAMS, WHO ASSIGNED CASE #955047 TO THE REPORT.ON 9/24/2010 AT 6:59PM THE VALVE SUPPLYING NATURAL GAS TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WAS SHUT OFF. THE SHUTTING OFF AND LOCKING OF ALL SERVICES WAS COMPLETE AT APPROXIMATELY 3:15AM ON 9/25/2010. DURING THE COMPLETION OF THE SHUT-OFF ACTION LINE PRESSURE ON THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM DROPPED TO ZERO AS HAT CREEK CONSUMED THE REMAINING CONTAMINATED GAS THROUGH ITS PEANUT DRYERS. ON 9/25/2010 AT 9:00AM THE VALVE CONTROLLING THE GAS FLOW TO THE CITY WAS CUT BACK ON. AS A PRECAUTION, LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM WERE MONITORED FOR 100% GAS USING (CGI) COMBUSTIBLE GAS INDICATORS. THE LOCATIONS THAT WERE MONITORED WERE INDUSTRIAL BLVD., CENTRAL PACKING PLANT, AND BRIDGES ROAD. WHEN 100% LEVELS WERE CONFIRMED, CREWS BEGAN CUTTING ON SERVICES AND RELIGHTING APPLIANCES THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. THE RELIGHTING PROCESS STARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30AM SATURDAY MORNING. AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00PM A MAJORITY OF THE SERVICES WERE BACK ON. WHERE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO ALLOW ACCESS FOR RELIGHTING, CONTACT INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS WERE PLACED IN A CONSPICUOUS LOCATION. A POST-EMERGENCY