WISCONSIN GAS LLC DBA WE ENERGIES
gas_distribution Incident — WAUPACA, WI — December 11, 2021
Incident Information
| Incident Date | December 11, 2021 |
| Operator | WISCONSIN GAS LLC DBA WE ENERGIES |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | WAUPACA |
| State | WI |
| County | WAUPACA |
| Coordinates | 44.36172, -89.09437 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | "DAMAGE BY CAR, TRUCK, OR OTHER MOTORIZED VEHICLE/EQUIPMENT NOT ENGAGED IN EXCAVATION" |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,700 |
| Emergency Response | $1,500 |
| Other Costs | $200,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"AT 9:12 AM ON 12/11/21, WISCONSIN GAS COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED THAT A GAS METER ASSEMBLY WAS HIT AT 517 WISCONSIN STREET, WAUPACA, WI AND THAT A FIRE/EXPLOSION HAD OCCURRED. A COMPANY FIRST RESPONDER WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE AND UPON ARRIVAL FOUND THAT A TRACTOR WITH A SNOW PLOW HIT THE GAS METER ASSEMBLY WHILE REMOVING SNOW, RESULTING IN THE GAS RELEASE. THE RELEASE OF GAS WAS STOPPED AT 10:35 AM BY USE OF A SERVICE CURB VALVE. NO FATALITIES OR PERSONAL INJURIES NECESSITATING IN-PATIENT HOSPITALIZATION OCCURRED; HOWEVER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GAS RELEASE CAUSED DWELLING DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF THE 191.3 REPORTING THRESHOLD OF $122,000. THE INVESTIGATION IDENTIFIED A SEVERED PIPE NIPPLE AT THE INLET TO THE METER SET REGULATOR AS THE SOURCE OF GAS RELEASE AFTER BEING HIT DURING THE SNOW PLOWING OPERATION. EIGHT RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED FROM THE DWELLING IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE METER SET WAS STRUCK AND THE DWELLING REMAINS UNINHABITABLE DUE TO THE DAMAGES."
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.