PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 1440 HOURS, A CONTRACTOR RIPPING AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD, STRUCK L-186 RELEASING GAS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AT MP 21, APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES EAST OF LOS BANOS, AND APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 152. THE FARMER NOTIFIED PG&E OF THE GAS INCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 HOURS AND PG&E PERSONNEL WERE ON SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS. IT WAS DECIDED TO ALLOW GAS TO CONTINUE ESCAPING AND CONTINUE SERVICE TO FOUR DOWNSTREAM CUSTOMERS UNTIL COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) WAS BROUGHT IN AND CONNECTED TO THE PIPELINE. A PRESSURE CONTROL FITTING WAS INSTALLED DOWNSTREAM OF THE LOCATION AND VALVE 19.17 WAS CLOSED TO ISOLATE THE SEGMENT. ONCE THE TAP FOR THE CNG WAS IN PLACE, PG&E STOPPED THE FLOW OF GAS ON THE TRANSMISSION LINE AT APPROXIMATELY 0605 HOURS ON NOVEMBER 30, AND COMPLETED REPAIRS OF THE TRANSMISSION PIPELINE BY REPLACING A 3-FOOT SECTION. PG&E COMPLETED REPAIRS AND PLACED THE TRANSMISSION PIPELINE BACK INTO OPERATION AT APPROXIMATELY 1230 HOURS ON NOVEMBER 30. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES OR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT AND NO SERVICE INTERRUPTION. THERE WERE NO PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS OR MEDIA ON-SITE. THE INCIDENT IS REPORTABLE TO THE CPUC AND DOT DUE TO PROPERTY DAMAGES, INCLUDING THE LOSS OF GAS, THAT EXCEED $82,000. A USA TICKET WAS IN EFFECT (# S 0343708 AND 0343731) FOR THE TRIANGLE T RANCH WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AND PG&E HAD WORKED WITH THE LANDOWNER TO DELINEATE, POTHOLE AND PROVIDE A BOUNDARY OF RIPPING OPERATIONS OVER THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS. THE CONTRACTOR PERFORMING THE RIPPING (DAVID PRICE) DID NOT OBTAIN HIS OWN USA TICKET. THE PIPELINE HAD BEEN MARKED BY PG&E AND A BOUNDARY TWENTY FEET ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PIPE HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE LANDOWNER. THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE EXCAVATOR TO PROPERLY EXPOSE AND PROTECT PG&E FACILITIES. THE EXCAVATOR KNEW THE LINE LOCATION BUT THOUGHT HE WAS CLEAR WHEN HE LOWERED HIS RIPPER AND STRUCK THE LINE.