PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON OCTOBER 23, 2013 PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC (PG&E) WAS NOTIFIED THAT A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR, WESTERN CONSTRUCTION AND MINING, WAS RIPPING A FIELD WITH A CAT D-10 FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER, TOLLENCREST DAIRY, WHEN THE CONTRACTOR STRUCK PG&E'S 16-INCH STEEL TRANSMISSION LINE L-124A RESULTING IN A RELEASE OF GAS. THE CONTRACTOR DID NOT CONTACT USA AND DID NOT HAND DIG, EXPOSE AND PROTECT THE LINE PRIOR TO USING MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, AS REQUIRED. PG&E'S GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED ON SITE AT 1520 HOURS AND THE FLOW OF GAS WAS STOPPED AT 1645 HOURS BY CLOSING THE MAIN LINE VALVES. NO CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCED GAS SERVICE INTERRUPTION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO FATALITIES AND NO IGNITION AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. MEDIA WAS NOT OBSERVED ON SCENE. THE DAMAGED SECTION OF 16-INCH STEEL PIPE ON L-124A WAS REPAIRED BY 0327 HOURS ON OCTOBER 24, 2013 AND THE OPERATING PRESSURE WAS LIMITED TO 526 PSI (10% BELOW DISCOVERY PRESSURE). AT THE TIME THE DIG IN WAS OBSERVED, THE CONTRACTOR HAD DUG A SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE OVER LINE-124A; THEREFORE, PG&E PERFORMED ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT ON THE PIPELINE PRIOR TO RESTORING THE PIPELINE TO NORMAL OPERATING PRESSURE. AFTER AN EXPLORATORY DIG CONFIRMED THAT NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS MADE TO THE PIPE AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, THE PRESSURE IN LINE-124A WAS RESTORED TO 585 PSIG, WHICH IS THE OPERATING PRESSURE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT AT 1722 HOURS AND CPUC AT 1724 HOURS BECAUSE THE VOLUME OF GAS RELEASED IS IN EXCESS OF 3 MILLION CUBIC FEET AND DAMAGES ARE GREATER THAN $50,000.