MOUNTAINEER GAS CO

Incident Narrative

AT 16:20 JULY 18, 2021, OPERATOR'S DISPATCH CENTER RECEIVED AN ODOR OF GAS CALL FROM 123 BEAVER PLAZA, A UNITED STATES POST OFFICE SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF BEAVER, RALEIGH COUNTY, W.VA. A FIRST RESPONDER WAS DISPATCHED. AT 16:51, RALEIGH COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES NOTIFIED OPERATOR'S DISPATCH CENTER OF A REPORTED EXPLOSION AT 103 BEAVER PLAZA. AN OPERATIONS MANAGER ALSO WAS DISPATCHED. OPERATOR'S EMPLOYEES NOTED THAT A STRUCTURE AT 103 BEAVER PLAZA WAS VISIBLY DAMAGED. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS INFORMED OPERATOR'S EMPLOYEES THAT ONE PERSON WAS INJURED AND HAD BEEN AIRLIFTED TO CABELL-HUNTINGTON HOSPITAL. AN ODOR OF GAS WAS DETECTED AT A NEARBY SEWER MANHOLE. OPERATOR'S EMPLOYEES ALSO CHECKED NEARBY BUSINESSES FOR GAS WITH CONSISTENTLY NEGATIVE RESULTS. THERE ARE TWO BUILDINGS LOCATED AT 103 BEAVER PLAZA. THE DAMAGED BUILDING IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND HOUSES A GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENT. A SECOND BUILDING IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND HOUSES ONLY TWO RESTROOMS, BUT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS BOARDED UP. OPERATOR HAS A 4-INCH MEDIUM-PRESSURE PLASTIC GAS DISTRIBUTION MAIN IN AN EASEMENT IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF THE SECOND BUILDING. OPERATOR'S EMPLOYEES CHECKED NEARBY SEWER MANHOLES AND DETERMINED THAT GAS WAS PRESENT IN THE AREA OF THE SECOND BUILDING. EMPLOYEES BEGAN EXCAVATING THE MAIN TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. WHEN THE MAIN WAS EXPOSED, A SEWER CONNECTION FOR THE SECOND BUILDING WAS FOUND DIRECTLY OVER THE MAIN. CONCRETE HAD BEEN POURED OVER THE SEWER CONNECTION. OPERATOR'S EMPLOYEES DISCOVERED A GOUGE IN THE MAIN. A CLAMP WAS FOUND COVERING THE GOUGE. FASTENINGS ON THE CLAMP WERE CORRODED. THE DAMAGED SECTION OF MAIN AND THE CLAMP WERE RECOVERED AND ARE BEING PRESERVED. PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF WORK AT THE SITE, OPERATOR'S EMPLOYEES PERFORMED AN ODORIZATION READ, SHOWING A .30 AVERAGE THRESHOLD, .51 READILY DETECTABLE. THE ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED PROVISIONALLY USING GUIDANCE RECEIVED ON AUGUST 16, 2021 FROM MARY FRIEND, DIRECTOR OF GAS PIPELINE SAFETY AT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF WEST VIRGINIA DUE TO RECOGNIZED PROGRAMMING ERRORS IN THE PHMSA PORTAL USED TO SUBMIT THIS REPORT: A7, A8, A21C, A22, D2A, D2B, D2C, D2D, D2E, D2F, D2G, D2H, D2I, E6.