PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1:23 P.M. PG&E WAS INFORMED BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT PG&E TRANSMISSION PIPELINE, L-301F, WAS STRUCK NEAR 50 ESPINOSA ROAD IN CASTROVILLE, CA. WHILE PLOWING THE FIELD, THE LINE WAS HIT BY FARM EQUIPMENT AND PUNCTURED THE PIPELINE RESULTING IN AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS. THE EXCAVATOR DID NOT OBTAIN A USA TICKET FOR THEIR CURRENT FARMING EXCAVATION ACTIVITY THAT RESULTED IN THIS INCIDENT. A USA TICKET (2024050700416) WAS PREVIOUSLY OBTAINED ON 5/7/24. THAT TICKET HAD A LEGAL EXCAVATION START DATE OF 5/10/2024 AND EXPIRED ON 6/4/24 WITH NO REQUEST FOR RENEWAL OR EXTENSION. THE DAMAGED PG&E PIPELINE WAS WITHIN THE DELINEATED AREA OF THE EXPIRED USA TICKET. DURING THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION, THE EXCAVATOR SAID THE PG&E USA GAS FLAGS FOR THE USA TICKET WERE NO LONGER VISIBLE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT DUE TO PREPPING THE FIELD FOR HARVESTING. INVESTIGATION ACTIVITIES INCLUDED A FIELD WALK THROUGH. THE PG&E DIRT INVESTIGATOR LOOKED FOR ANY REMNANTS OF PGE USA GAS FLAG MARKERS BUT ONLY OBSERVED ONE PG&E USA GAS FLAG LOCATED NEAR THE PG&E GAS PADDLE MARKER EAST OF THE DAMAGE SITE AREA. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CA HIGHWAY PATROL WERE ONSITE. NO FATALITIES OR INJURIES WERE REPORTED. AT APPROXIMATELY 20:00 PG&E INCIDENT ON-CALL PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THE UNINTENDED GAS LOSS WAS OVER THREE MILLION CUBIC FEET AND REPORTED TO DOT AND CPUC.