CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:53 A SECOND PARTY CONTRACTOR PERFORMING PIPELINE INTEGRITY WORK DAMAGED A 10"" STEEL HIGH PRESSURE PIPELINE AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF NEWBURGH ROAD AND JOY ROAD, LIVONIA, MICHIGAN (WAYNE COUNTY). THE CONTRACT CREW HAD THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 10"" ST PIPELINE EXPOSED AND WAS EXCAVATING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PIPE WHEN THE EXCAVATOR MADE CONTACT WITH A 4"" ST BY-PASS WELDED TO THE 10"" PIPELINE, CAUSING THE WELD TO CRACK AND GAS TO BLOW. IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES WERE TAKEN AND NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO THE OPERATOR. CONSUMERS ENERGY PERSONNEL ARRIVED ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 15:06, CONFIRMING THE DAMAGE AND CONTINUED PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. LOCAL POLICE AND FIRE WERE ONSITE AND THE TRAFFIC ON JOY ROAD WAS BLOCKED AND REMAINED BLOCKED UNTIL THE BLOWING GAS WAS SHUT-DOWN AND REPAIRS TO THE PIPELINE WERE COMPLETE. AT APPROXIMATELY 16:10 A GAS DISTRIBUTION CREW BEGAN DIGGING A SEPARATE EXCAVATION IN PREPARATION FOR INSTALLATION OF A MUELLER CONTROL FITTING TO ISOLATE THE DAMAGED PIPELINE AND MAKE THE NEEDED REPAIRS. THE CONTROL FITTING WAS INSTALLED AND THE VALVING OPERATION WAS COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:45 STOPPING THE BLOWING GAS. HOWEVER, TRACES OF GAS CONTINUED TO LEAK THROUGH REQUIRING ADDITIONAL STOPPLING AT THE EXISTING CONTROL FITTING. THE PIPELINE SECTION WAS COMPLETELY ISOLATE AT 20:45. REPAIRS TO THE DAMAGED PIPELINE WERE COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 05:30 AND THE PIPELINE RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS AT 07:30.