NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC
gas_transmission Incident — — October 12, 2023
Incident Information
| Incident Date | October 12, 2023 |
| Operator | NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 43.73412, -116.59705 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE BY THIRD PARTY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $385,000 |
| Emergency Response | $2,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON OCTOBER 12, 2023 A FARMER ACCIDENTALLY STRUCK THE WILLIAMS 1400 IGNACIA TO SUMAS 22"" PIPELINE WHILE USING AN EXCAVATOR IN HIS FIELD. THE WILLIAMS SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER (SOC) WAS ALERTED OF THE RUPTURE BY A POWER COUNTY ROAD CREW AT 10:30 AM MT. THE WILLIAMS OPERATIONS TEAM IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED OPERATIONS PERSONNEL TO THE INCIDENT LOCATION AND THE NEAREST UPSTREAM/DOWNSTREAM VALVE LOCATIONS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE AND ISOLATE THE LINE. AT 11:06 MT GAS CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE CALDWELL CS BLOCK VALVE (UPSTREAM OF THE RUPTURE) WAS CLOSED. AT 11:35 MT GAS CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED THAT VALVE 11-4A (DOWNSTREAM OF THE RUPTURE) WAS CLOSED. THE FARMER THAT STRUCK THE PIPELINE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY HIS FAMILY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RUPTURE OCCURRED, HE WAS DISCHARGED LATER THAT DAY WITH NO SIGNIFICANT INJURIES OR IN-PATIENT HOSPITALIZATION. THE LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ISSUED A ""SHELTER IN PLACE"" ORDER FOR ALL RESIDENTS WITHIN 4 SQUARE MILES OF THE INCIDENT THAT LASTED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR. OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS WILLIAMS WORKED TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED PIPELINE TO RETURN THE LINE TO SERVICE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE LINE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE ON OCTOBER 23, 2023."
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.