PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 30, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 0954 HOURS A THIRD PARTY EXCAVATOR (MADERA IRRIGATION DISTRICT) STRUCK AND SEVERELY DAMAGED PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY'S (PG&E) 12-INCH NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION LINE 118B AT MILE POINT 7.8, RESULTING IN A RELEASE OF GAS. THE THIRD PARTY EXCAVATOR WAS USING A TRACTOR WITH A BLADE TO CLEAN OUT THE BOTTOM OF A DRY CREEK AND DID NOT COMPLY WITH EXCAVATION DAMAGE PREVENTION REGULATIONS BY FAILING TO CALL USA PRIOR TO EXCAVATION. GAS PIPELINE MARKERS WERE IN PLACE. PG&E REPRESENTATIVES ARRIVED ON-SITE AT 1010 HOURS. PG&E CREWS ISOLATED THE DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPELINE BY CLOSING TAP VALVES AND MAIN LINE VALVES. THE FLOW OF GAS WAS BROUGHT DOWN FROM 370 PSIG TO 4 PSIG AT 1430 HOURS. THE THREE FEET OF DAMAGED PIPELINE WAS REPLACED WITH 12-INCH OD, 0.281 INCH WT, X-42, PRE-TESTED PIPE. THE REPAIR WORK WAS COMPLETED AT APPROXIMATELY 1215 HOURS ON DECEMBER 1, 2012. ELEVEN CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCED GAS SERVICE INTERRUPTION AND ALL ELEVEN SERVICES WERE RESTORED BY 1730 HOURS ON DECEMBER 1, 2012. THE TEMPORARY INSTALLATION OF COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS WAS USED TO MAINTAIN GAS SERVICE TO MANY OF THE SURROUNDING CUSTOMERS. OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 99 AND THE ADJACENT RAILROAD WERE SHUT DOWN, AND THE AREA WAS EVACUATED WITHIN A HALF MILE RADIUS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO FATALITIES AND NO IGNITION AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO BOTH THE DOT AND THE CPUC BECAUSE THE COST OF DAMAGES EXCEEDED $50,000, AND THE VOLUME OF UNINTENTIONALLY RELEASED GAS WAS GREATER THAN 3 MMCF. IN ADDITION, SACRAMENTO MAJOR TV NEWS MEDIA CHANNELS 30 AND 47 WERE OBSERVED ON-SCENE.