NATIONAL GAS & OIL CORP

Incident Narrative

ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022, A HOMEOWNER REPORTED AN EXPLOSION AND CALLED 911. NATIONAL GAS & OIL COOPERATIVE WAS NOTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER. WHEN COOPERATIVE EMPLOYEES ARRIVED AT THE SCENE, THE SERVICE LINE CURB VALVE WAS SHUT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. READINGS INDICATED THAT NATURAL GAS WAS PRESENT IN THE GROUND AROUND THE HOMEOWNER'S NATURAL GAS RISER. THE HOMEOWNER'S NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE WAS TESTED AND LEAKAGE WAS FOUND AT THE RISER HEAD. ON TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2022 AFTER ALL INSURANCE PARTIES AND FIRE AND EXPLOSION INVESTIGATORS COULD BE PRESENT, THE HOMEOWNER'S RISER WAS REMOVED AND THE SERVICE LINE CAPPED AT THE BASE OF THE RISER AND RETESTED. THE SERVICE LINE HELD THE PRESSURE TEST WITHOUT THE RISER. THE HOMEOWNER'S RISER WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO AN INDEPENDENT LABORATORY PLANNED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION (PLANNED FOR APRIL 21, 2022). THIS RISER WAS INSTALLED BY THE HOMEOWNER OR THE HOMEOWNER'S CONTRACTOR OR REPRESENTATIVE, NOT BY THE NATIONAL GAS & OIL COOPERATIVE. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION WAS DUE TO A PULLED RISER. A TREE ROOT APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET AWAY FROM THE BEND IN THE RISER GREW ACROSS THE SERVICE LINE. OVER TIME, THE ROOT PULLED THE SERVICE LINE MOST OF THE WAY OUT OF THE RISER CONNECTION, CAUSING A LEAK. THE HOUSE AT 811 BLACKS RD SE HAS BEEN TORE DOWN DUE TO THE DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE EXPLOSION. THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF OHIO HAS COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION AND WE, NATIONAL GAS AND OIL COOPERATIVE, ARE WAITING ON A COPY OF THEIR REPORT AS OF 7/19/2022.