NORTHERN NATURAL GAS CO
gas_transmission Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | NORTHERN NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 40.45349, -97.31622 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON NOVEMBER 10, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 08:30 THE PIPELINE WAS STRUCK AND DAMAGED BY A DITCH WITCH RT95 CHAIN TYPE TRENCHER. THE OPERATOR OF THE EQUIPMENT IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE TRENCHER, LEFT IT IN PLACE AGAINST THE PIPELINE, AND RETREATED TO SAFETY. THERE WAS NO FIRE, NO INJURIES AND NO CASUALTIES. NO ONE WAS EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOME. THE OPERATOR OF THE TRENCHER, JAQS IRRIGATION AND TRENCHING, WAS DOING SUBCONTRACT WORK FOR MUSSMAN EXCAVATING. NEITHER CONTRACTOR MADE THE REQUIRED ONE-CALL. THE PIPELINE IS A 10-INCH OPERATING AT ABOUT 500 PSI AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE LINE HIT WAS THE ONLY DAMAGE. THE PIPELINE WAS 42-INCHES DEEP. THE TRENCHER TOOTH CAUSED A 1-INCH BY 2-INCH PUNCTURE. THE DAMAGED SECTION WAS REPLACED WITH A 10-FOOT LENGTH OF NEW PIPE. ABOUT 5,000 MCF OF NATURAL GAS WAS RELEASED DUE TO THE DAMAGE AND DURING REPAIRS. THERE WERE NO SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS BECAUSE THE COMPANY USED VOLUME BOTTLE TRAILERS TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY SERVICE TO THE TOWN OF WESTERN, NE.
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.