SOUTH CAROLINA ELECTRIC & GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 11, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:05PM SCE&G RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE GAS SERVICE LINE FOR 101 SPRING STREET WAS DAMAGED AND ON FIRE. THE ORDER WAS DISPATCHED TO OUR SERVICEMAN AT 12:12PM AND HE ARRIVED AT 12:17PM. THE SERVICEMAN DISCOVERED THE GAS SERVICE LINE FOR THE HOME AT THIS PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED BY AN EAST COAST PLUMBING WORKER WHILE SWEATING ON COPPER WATER LINE FITTINGS NEAR THE GAS SERVICE LINE USING A PROPANE TORCH. THE PLASTIC SERVICE LINE WAS DAMAGED BY HEAT FROM THE PROPANE TORCH BEING USED BY THE PLUMBER. ALSO, THE ESCAPING GAS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY IGNITED BY AN UNDETERMINED SOURCE. THE WORKER WAS NOT INJURED AND NOT TREATED BY EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND CONTROLLED THE FIRE WITH WATER HOSES WHILE SCE&G EXCAVATED THE SERVICE TAPPING TEE. THE LEAK WAS SECURED BY RUNNING THE TAPPING TEE DOWN AT 1:56PM. BECAUSE DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE WILL LIKELY EXCEED $50,000, CEDRIC GREEN (SCE&G) NOTIFIED VERNON GAINEY OF SOUTH CAROLINA OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF AT 3:15PM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER AT 3:30PM. EAST COAST PLUMBING COMPANY DID NOT HAVE A VALID LOCATE TICKET FOR THE WORK THEY WERE PERFORMING. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE LINE FOR 101 SPRING STREET WAS LEAK SURVEYED ON MARCH 31, 2010; THE LEAK SURVEY TECHNICIAN DID NOT FIND A LEAK. SCE&G HAS NO RECORD OF PERFORMING SERVICE RELATED WORK INSIDE THE HOME FROM 2006 TO PRESENT. NOTE: THIS FORM (PART C; 3.A) WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE NOMINAL PIPE DIAMETER. THE NOMINAL PIPE DIAMETER IS 0.5 INCHES.