PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

AT 0732 HOURS ON OCT. 24, 2014, PG&E WAS INFORMED OF A THIRD-PARTY DIG IN NEAR WIBLE ROAD AND HOUGHTON ROAD IN BAKERSFIELD. A THIRD PARTY FURROWING A FIELD STRUCK TRANSMISSION LINE L-300A CAUSING AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS. L-300A IS A 34-INCH LINE LOCATED DOWNSTREAM OF MILE POINT 270.85, DURING THE INCIDENT, VALVES AT MP 270.85 AND MP278.70 WERE CLOSED AND THE BLOWOFF VALVES (AT BOTH LOCATIONS) WERE OPENED TO EXPEDITE DEPRESSURIZING OF APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES OF THE PIPE. THE FLOW OF GAS STOPPED AT 1151 HOURS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED AN 8 SQUARE-MILE EXCLUSION ZONE AROUND THE DIG-IN AREA AND EVACUATED TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. NO INJURIES, NO FATALITIES, AND NO IGNITION OCCURRED DURING THE INCIDENT. KERN COUNTY FIRE LIFTED THE EXCLUSION ZONE AT ABOUT 1230 HOURS. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PERSONNEL MONITORED THE AIR QUALITY FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE GAS WAS SHUT IN AND DEEMED IT WAS SAFE TO LIFT THE ORDER. TRAFFIC CONTROL WAS CONDUCTED BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL AND KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. TRANSMISSION LINE L-312, WHICH IS TAPPED OFF OF THIS SECTION OF L-300A AND SERVES ROUGHLY 100 CUSTOMERS, WAS ALSO ISOLATED BUT DUE TO LINE PACK THE CUSTOMERS WERE NOT AFFECTED. THREE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS LOST SERVICE DURING THE INCIDENT: TEXACO, VULCAN MATERIALS, AND INDUSTRIAL OIL AND ASPHALT. BY 0900 HOURS ON OCT. 26, VULCAN AND RIDGELINE OIL AND ASPHALT WERE RETURNED TO SERVICE. LINE 312 AND TEXACO WERE RETURNED TO SERVICE AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS ON OCT. 26. REPAIRS WERE MADE BY REPLACING THE DAMAGED PORTION OF PIPELINE WITH PRE-TESTED PIPE, SUCCESSFUL RADIOGRAPHIC EXAMINATIONS OF THE WELDS WERE MADE, AND THE APPROXIMATE 8 MILES OF L-300A WAS PURGED AND RE-PRESSURIZED WITH NATURAL GAS PRIOR TO 0145 HOURS ON OCT. 26, 2014. THE FACILITY WAS NOT LOCATED AND MARKED UNDER USA TICKET 422144. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE CPUC AND DOT BECAUSE DAMAGES EXCEED $50,000. SAFETY AND ENFORCEMENT DIVISION OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (CPUC) ISSUED A CITATION TO PG&E FOR FAILING TO FOLLOW ITS PROCEDURES TO ADEQUATELY DOCUMENT THE EXCAVATION AREA IN USA TICKET 0422144 AND FOR FAILING TO SUBMIT A SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT TO PHMSA REFLECTING THIS INFORMATION. THIS INCIDENT IS CURRENTLY THE SUBJECT OF A DISPUTE IN A CIVIL LAW SUIT PENDING IN KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA ENTITLED PG&E V. ALEXANDER ET AL. CASE NO. BCV-15-101623 AND RELATED CROSS-ACTION. PG&E WILL SUBMIT A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO PHMSA WHEN THE LITIGATION IS RESOLVED.