CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORPORATION

Incident Narrative

ON JULY 16TH, 2024, C4 UNLIMITED WAS PERFORMING BORING EXCAVATION ACTIVITIES TO INSTALL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONDUIT FOR RISE BROADBAND IN THE 1600 BLOCK OF H ST. IN FLORESVILLE, TEXAS. AT 11:30AM, CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESPONDED TO A LEAK ODOR CALL AT 1705 10TH ST. NO GAS LEAK ON THE PROPERTY WAS DETECTED BY THE TECHNICIAN; HOWEVER, ODOR WAS DETECTED. THE CENTERPOINT ENERGY TECHNICIAN BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE VICINITY FOR LEAKS. AT 11:45AM, THE CENTERPOINT ENERGY TECH WAS FLAGGED DOWN BY CONTRACT LOCATOR REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTIFIED OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO CENTERPOINT ENERGY'S GAS LINE IN THE 1600 BLOCK OF H ST. BY C4 UNLIMITED. C4 UNLIMITED DID NOT REPORT THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO CENTERPOINT ENERGY. THE CENTERPOINT ENERGY TECHNICIAN DETECTED GAS VENTING OUT OF THE GROUND AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ALONG H ST. THE TECHNICIAN THEN BEGAN TO CHECK THE SEWER LATERAL AT 1601 H ST. AND IDENTIFIED GAS BLOWING. THIS PROMPTED THE TECHNICIAN TO DETERMINE WHETHER EVACUATIONS WERE NECESSARY AT THIS LOCATION AND EAST OF 1601 H ST., IN THE DIRECTION OF THE POSSIBLE BORE PATH, AS WELL AS REQUEST ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM CENTERPOINT ENERGY. AT 12:00PM ADDITIONAL CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES ARRIVED TO ASSIST WITH IDENTIFYING THE EXTENT OF THE GAS LEAK, OPENING SEWER LATERAL CLEAN OUTS TO VENT OUT GAS FROM SEWER SYSTEM, AS WELL AS ENSURING EVACUATIONS FROM THE 1600 BLOCK OF H ST. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE STRUCTURES WERE PREVIOUSLY EVACUATED BY THE FLORESVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AFTER EVACUATIONS WERE CONFIRMED, THE CENTERPOINT ENERGY CONSTRUCTION CREW ESTABLISHED THE DAMAGE LOCATION AREA AND REMOTE ISOLATION POINT. AT 2:00PM, WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION CREW WAS EXCAVATING AT THE ISOLATION POINT, THE MAIN STRUCTURE AT 1605 H ST. EXPLODED. THE CREW CONTINUED EXCAVATING THE GAS LINE AND SQUEEZED OFF THE 2"" PLASTIC MAIN AT 2:05PM. AFTER THE INCIDENT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONTRACT LOCATOR INCORRECTLY LOCATED AND MARKED THE 2"" PLASTIC MAIN, WHICH THE EXCAVATOR C4 UNLIMITED HAD DAMAGED IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS.