AMERENIP

Incident Narrative

HAIER PLUMBING REQUESTED A JULIE ONE-CALL JOINT MEET TICKET COVERING A LARGE SEWER AND WATERLINE PROJECT IN THE HILLSBORO AREA. DURING THE JOINT MEET, HAIER PLUMBING EXPLAINED TO LOCATORS IN ATTENDANCE WHAT THE PROJECT ENTAILED AND SHOWED THEM A MAP OF THE AREAS THAT NEEDED TO BE LOCATED FOR THE START OF THE PROJECT. WHEN HAIER NEEDED ADDITIONAL AREAS LOCATED, THEY STATED THEY WOULD CONTACT THE LOCATORS AND EXPLAIN WHAT AREAS SHOULD BE LOCATED NEXT. ON 6/14/2010 HAIER CONTACTED THE CONSOLIDATED UTILITY SERVICE (CUS) LOCATOR WORKING FOR AMEREN AND REQUESTED AN AREA OF RAILROAD STREET SOUTH OF IL RTE. 16 (SCHOOL STREET) TO BE LOCATED FOR A BORE ACROSS SCHOOL ST. WHEN THE CUS LOCATOR FOR AMEREN SHOWED UP TO THE LOCATION SPECIFIED, HE LOCATED THE 8"" STEEL HIGH PRESSURE GAS MAIN AND BOTH HE AND THE EXCAVATOR FOR HAIER WALKED AROUND 1624 SCHOOL ST. TOGETHER LOOKING FOR A POSSIBLE GAS METER. NEITHER THE LOCATOR NOR HAIER NOTICED THE GAS METER OR FARM TAP FOR 1624 SCHOOL ST. ON 6/18/2010, HAIER WAS EXCAVATING IN RAILROAD STREET AND STRUCK THE UNMARKED 3/4"" STEEL GAS SERVICE BETWEEN THE 8"" HIGH PRESSURE STEEL MAIN ON THE EAST SIDE OF RAILROAD STREET AND THE FARM TAP SERVING 1624 SCHOOL ST. THE FARM TAP WAS OBSCURED BY VEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING TO THE EXTENT THAT HAIER CREW MEMBERS WERE STANDING NEXT TO IT WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURRED AND DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS THERE UNTIL THEY HEARD THE GAS BLOWING FROM THE DAMAGE NEAR THE TAP. AMEREN RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE EXCAVATOR AT 0843 ON 6/18/2010 AND AN AMEREN FIRST RESPONDER WAS ON SITE AT 0850. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS INSURED THE AREA WAS SAFE INCLUDING THE STRUCTURE AT 1624 SCHOOL ST. IL RTE. 16 WAS SHUT DOWN AT 0925 AND ORDER WAS MADE TO CUT THE ELECTRIC SERVICE TO 1624 SCHOOL ST. DUE TO GAS IN AIR DUE TO EXCESSIVE WINDS. NO GAS WAS EVER DETECTED INSIDE THE STRUCTURE AT 1624 SCHOOL ST. CREWS WERE MOBILIZED TO SHUT OFF THE FLOW OF GAS AND REPAIR THE DAMAGED FACILITIES. SINCE THE SERVICE WAS HIT BETWEEN THE MAIN AND THE FARM TAP, THE 8"" MAIN HAD TO BE EXCAVATED IN TWO LOCATIONS AT A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE HIT WHERE TWO 8"" LINE STOPPERS AND A BYPASS COULD BE WELDED ON THE MAIN ALLOWING STOPPERS TO BE SET TO STOP OFF THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE DAMAGED GAS FACILITIES. AT 1600, IL RTE. 16 WAS RE-OPENED. DUE TO THE EXTENT OF LARGE DIAMETER STEEL WORK THAT HAD TO BE COMPLETED COUPLED WITH A SEVERE ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT EVENING, GAS WAS SHUT DOWN AT 1016 ON 6/19/2010. THE SERVICE HAD BEEN SEVERED BY THE EXCAVATOR NEAR A 3/4"" WELD ELBOW. CREWS MADE REPAIRS TO THE STEEL SERVICE LINE AND GAS WAS RESTORED TO THE CUSTOMER AT 1624 SCHOOL ST. AT 1630 ON 6/19/2010.