NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC
gas_transmission Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 42.76192, -112.83473 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON FEBRUARY 25TH, 2022 AN ERRANT VEHICLE RAN INTO SOME ABOVE-GROUND PIPING AT NORTHWEST PIPELINE'S AMERICAN FALLS METER STATION LOCATED IN IDAHO. OPERATIONS WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT BY PIPELINE CONTROLLERS. OPERATIONS TRAVELLED TO THE SITE AND IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE NO PIPELINE RUPTURES OR CATASTROPHIC FAILURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCIDENT. A LEAKING 1/4"" VALVE WAS IDENTIFIED. THOUGH THERE WERE NO PIPING FAILURES, THE VEHICLE THAT RAN INTO THE FACILITY WAS STOPPED ON TOP OF SOME ABOVE-GROUND PIPING. OPERATIONS DEEMED IT NECESSARY TO BYPASS THIS PIPING TO AVOID INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE UNTIL THE TRUCK COULD BE REMOVED AND THE TOTAL SCOPE OF DAMAGE COULD BE IDENTIFIED AND PROPERLY ADDRESSED. A BYPASS AROUND THE AFFECTED PIPING WAS QUICKLY PUT IN PLACE UTILIZING APPROPRIATELY TESTED HIGH-PRESSURE HOSING AND ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS. THROUGH FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PIPING THAT HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH SIMILAR AND NEW PIPING COMPONENTS. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND LATER RELEASED.
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.