ALABAMA GAS CORPORATION
gas_distribution Incident — BIRMINGHAM, AL — January 1, 2011
Incident Information
| Incident Date | January 1, 2011 |
| Operator | ALABAMA GAS CORPORATION |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | BIRMINGHAM |
| State | AL |
| County | SHELBY |
| Coordinates | 33.37117, -86.66799 |
Cause
| Cause | "PIPE, WELD, OR JOINT FAILURE" |
| Subcause | MECHANICAL JOINT FAILURE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $530 |
| Emergency Response | $1,500 |
| Other Costs | $15,617 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"A LEAK AT THE MECHANICAL SERVICE TEE RESULTED IN THE MIGRATION OF NATURAL GAS INTO THE GARAGE AREA, CAUSING AN EXPLOSION. PORTIONS OF THE FOUR-UNIT TOWNHOME COMPLEX EXPERIENCED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE EVENT WAS DETERMINED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF A REPORTABLE INCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00 A.M. IN ADDITION TO THE FIGURES PROVIDED IN PART D OF THIS REPORT, THE INCIDENT HAS FORCED ALABAMA GAS TO UNDERGO INSPECTION AND REMEDIATION EFFORTS FOR SIMILARLY DEFECTIVE AND MIS-INSTALLED TAPPING TEES THROUGHOUT THE NARROWS AND OTHER SUBDIVISIONS. THESE EFFORTS ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AND THEY ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE ANOTHER 8 YEARS TO COMPLETE. ALABAMA GAS SPENT APPROXIMATELY $854,669.00 AS PART OF ITS INSPECTION AND REMEDIATION EFFORTS AT THE NARROWS, AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENTIRE INSPECTION AND REMEDIATION PROJECT ARE ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY $20 MILLION."
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.