CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

"ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:59 HOURS CONSUMERS ENERGY RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE DAMAGE BY A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR INSTALLING DRAIN TILES IN A FARM FIELD WEST OF 1631 N. JEROME ROAD, ARCADA TOWNSHIP (GRATIOT COUNTY) MICHIGAN. A GAS SERVICE WORKER (GSW) ARRIVED ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 11:32 HOURS AND CONFIRMED A 4-INCH HIGH-PRESSURE PIPELINE FEEDING CONSUMERS ENERGY'S ITHACA REGULATION STATION HAD BEEN DAMAGED RESULTING IN A SEVERED PIPELINE. A DISTRIBUTION CREW ARRIVED ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 HOURS. TO CONTROL THE GAS FLOW, THE GAS MECHANICS CLOSED THE G-VALVE AT REGULATOR STATION #63831 AT 12:00 HOURS TO ISOLATE DOWNSTREAM OF THE DAMAGE TO MAINTAIN SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS. THE H-67 VALVE WAS CLOSED AT 12:20 HOURS TO ISOLATE AND SHUT-OFF GAS AT THE DAMAGE LOCATION. A REQUEST WAS MADE TO LARGE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS TO REDUCE GAS USAGE IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE REQUIRED TO SERVE THE CITY OF ITHACA. DESPITE EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE, A CONTINUED PRESSURE DROP WAS OBSERVED, AND A DECISION WAS MADE AT APPROXIMATELY 15:30 HOURS TO BEGIN SHUTTING OFF METERS FOR THE 1400+ CUSTOMERS SERVED BY THIS FEED. THE DAMAGED SEGMENT OF THE PIPELINE WAS CUT OUT AND REPLACED WITH APPROXIMATELY 62-FEET OF 4-INCH HIGH-PRESSURE PIPELINE. REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED AND GAS SERVICE RESTORED TO THE HIGH PRESSURE PIPELINE ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 06:30 HOURS. RESTORATION TO THE MEDIUM PRESSURE PIPELINE WAS COMPLETED AT 15:30 AND SERVICE RESTORATION BEGAN AT 18:00 HOURS."