VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS

Incident Narrative

A VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS (VNG) MOWING CONTRACTOR DAMAGED AN ABOVE GROUND 1/2"" BLEED VALVE WITH HIS BUSH HOG EQUIPMENT WHILE MOWING THE VNG TRANSMISSION RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW). THE 1/2"" BLEED VALVE EXTENDED FROM AN UNDERGROUND 8"" TAP VALVE, AND THE BUSH HOG BENT THE 1/2"" PIPE AND CAUSED A FUZZ LEAK AT THE VALVE THREADED CONNECTION AT THE TOP OF THE PIPE. AT THE TIME OF THE DAMAGE, IT WAS UNCLEAR IF THE TAP VALVE HAD BEEN DAMAGED UNDERGROUND; THEREFORE, THE PIPELINE HAD TO BE COMPLETELY BLOWN-DOWN TO EXCAVATE SAFELY AROUND THE TAP VALVE. APPROXIMATELY 7-MILES OF 24"" TRANSMISSION PIPELINE WAS BLOWN-DOWN FOR THIS REPAIR OPERATION. THE TAP VALVE WAS EXCAVATED AND FOUND TO BE UNDAMAGED BY THE VEHICLE IMPACT. THE 1/2"" PIPE AND BLEED VALVE WERE REPLACED, AND THE PIPELINE WAS BROUGHT BACK INTO SERVICE. THE COMPANY'S ABOVE GROUND APPURTENANCES WERE PROTECTED ON TWO SIDES BY AN ""L"" SHAPED PROTECTIVE BARRIER THAT WAS LOCATED BETWEEN THE VALVE AND THE NEARBY ROADWAYS (APPROXIMATELY 75' FROM CHAMBERLAYNE ROAD AND 40' FROM RICHFOOD ROAD). IT IS ALSO NOTED THAT VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (VDOT) APPROVED GUARDRAILS EXIST ALONG THE ADJACENT ROADWAYS TO KEEP CARS FROM ACCIDENTLY ENTERING THE ROW NEAR THE VALVE SITE. THE BUSH HOG HIT THE PIPE FROM THE OPEN-END OF THE ""L"" SHAPED PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE. THIS ABOVE GROUND EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1992, AND HAS NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH VEHICLE PROTECTION OR ROW MOWING. THE MOWING CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO USE A HAND-HELD WEED EATER WHEN WORKING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ANY ABOVE GROUND EQUIPMENT ON THE VNG ROW. VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE BARRIERS AROUND THIS VALVE SITE TO ELIMINATE ANY FUTURE ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE.