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BLACK HILLS ENERGY

gas_distribution Incident — LINCOLN, NE

Incident Information

Report Date—
OperatorBLACK HILLS ENERGY
Commodity—
Pipeline Typegas_distribution

Location

CityLINCOLN
StateNE
CountyLANCASTER
Coordinates40.84736, -96.68225

Cause

CauseEXCAVATION DAMAGE
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage—
Lost Commodity—
Public/Private Damage—
Emergency Response—
Environmental Remediation—
Other Costs—

Location Map

Incident Narrative

ROAD AND BRIDGE WORK WERE BEING DONE BY K2 CONSTRUCTION FOR THE CITY OF LINCOLN NE ON THE N 27TH STREET BRIDGE CROSSING SALT CREEK. BLACK HILLS ENERGY (BHE) HAS A 6-INCH STEEL DISTRIBUTION MAIN ATTACHED AND SUPPORTED UNDER THE BRIDGE. K2 CONSTRUCTION HAD AN 811 LOCATE TICKET TO DO EXCAVATE AT THIS LOCATION. THIS MAIN WAS ACCURATELY LOCATED BY BHE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE MAIN TRANSITIONED FROM THE BRIDGE TO GO UNDERGROUND ON THE NORTH SIDE WHERE IT WAS HIT. PRIOR TO INCIDENT, BHE WAS PREPARING TO INSTALL STOPPLE FITTINGS AND VALVES ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THIS BRIDGE CROSSING. THE INTENT WAS TO BE ABLE TO ISOLATE THE SECTION OF MAIN ON THE BRIDGE TO ALLOW A QUICK AND SAFE WAY TO STOP GAS FLOW IF ANY DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING BRIDGE REPAIR. K2 CONSTRUCTION WAS AWARE OF THE GAS MAIN ON THE NORTH SIDE AND BHE'S EFFORT TO INSTALL VALVES DID NOT WAIT FOR BHE TO FINISH INSTALLATION. ON SATURDAY MAY 22ND, K2 CONSTRUCTION CONTINUED WITH THIS PROJECT AND DUG IN THE TOLERANCE ZONE WITH AN EXCAVATOR DIRECTLY OVER THE PIPELINE. THIS PUNCTURED THE 6-INCH MAIN CAUSING A 1.5-INCH BY 3-INCH HOLE ALLOWING BLOWING NATURAL GAS TO ESCAPE TO ATMOSPHERE. 911 WAS CALLED BY THE EXCAVATOR AND LINCOLN POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME ON SCENE TO CONTROL TRAFFIC AND OFFER SUPPORT FOR BHE THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT. BHE ARRIVED WITH PERSONNEL TO SAFELY MONITOR, CONTROL THE BLOWING GAS, AND MAKE REPAIRS. A NEBRASKA STATE FIRE MARSHAL DEPUTY INSPECTOR ALSO RESPONDED TO THIS INCIDENT TO MONITOR AND INVESTIGATE. STOPPLE FITTINGS WERE WELDED ON THE SOUTH AND NORTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE TO STOP FLOW OF GAS. A BYPASS WAS INSTALLED TO MAINTAIN GAS SUPPLY TO A LARGE RESIDENTIAL AREA NORTH OF THE BRIDGE. ONCE THE BYPASS WAS COMPLETED, THE STOPPLES WERE INSERTED TO STOP THE BLOWING GAS. GAS BLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY 14 HOURS AND THE AREA WAS MONITORED BY BHE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT UNTIL REPAIRS COULD BE MADE. THE DAMAGED SECTION OF MAIN WAS REPLACED, PIPELINE RE-PRESSURED AND BYPASS REMOVED. POOR EXCAVATION PRACTICES RESULTED IN THE INCIDENT.

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.

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