SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2010, A GRADY COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS MOTOR GRADER DAMAGED SOUTHERN NATURAL GAS COMPANY'S 6' SOUTH GRADY PIPELINE CAUSING A GAS RELEASE AT 811 PSIG. THE LOCATION WAS AT A DIRT ROAD, HOPKINS ROAD, IN GRADY COUNTY, GA. THE MOTOR GRADER OPERATOR WAS INJURED ON HIS RIGHT SIDE DUE TO DEBRIS FROM THE GAS RELEASE. HE WAS TREATED AT THE GRADY COUNTY HOSPITAL AND RELEASED WITHIN 4 HOURS. NO FIRE OCCURRED. 911 EMERGENCY RESPONDERS INCLUDED THE GRADY COUNTY EMA AND THE CALVARY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO SECURED THE AREA. 9.628 MILES OF PIPELINE WAS ISOLATED AND DEPRESSURIZED. EVALUATION OF THE DAMAGE TO THE PIPELINE REVEALED A 6' X 2' CUT INTO THE PIPE. A 2' SECTION OF PIPE WAS REPLACED AND THE LINE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AT 7:00 P.M. EDT THE SAME DAY. THE MOTOR GRADER OPERATOR DID NOT CONTACT THE ONE CALL CENTER PRIOR TO THE GRADING ACTIVITY. THE PIPELINE WAS MARKED WITH 49 CFR 192 MARKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DIRT ROAD. THE OPERATOR WAS PULLING THE DITCHES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHICH IS THE ONLY SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT THE COUNTY MAINTAINS IN THIS AREA. THE GRADER OPERATOR STATED THAT HE LIFTED HIS BLADE AND THOUGHT HE WAS PAST THE PIPELINE WHEN HE LOWERED HIS BLADE. THE BLADE WAS LOWERED DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE PIPELINE, NEAR THE NORTH SIDE MARKER, RESULTING IN THE DAMAGE TO THE PIPE AND THE SUBSEQUENT GAS RELEASE.