PUGET SOUND ENERGY

Incident Narrative

PSE RESPONDED TO A CALL FROM PIERCE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT OF A BROKEN AND BLOWING 4"" PE GAS MAIN AT THE INTERSECTION OF S MERIDIAN STREET AND W PIONEER AVENUE IN PUYALLUP ON JUNE 30, 2020 AT 02:05. THE GAS FIRST RESPONSE (GFR) TECHNICIAN FIRST ARRIVED ONSITE AT 02:40 AND FOUND THAT A CONTRACTOR (SEFNCO) HAD DAMAGED THE 4"" PE GAS MAIN WHILE DIRECTIONAL DRILLING ACROSS MERIDIAN STREET TO INSTALL NEW TELECOMMUNICATION CABLE. THE GFR TECHNICIAN ASSESSED THE SITUATION AND REQUESTED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD BLOCKED ACCESS TO APPROXIMATELY ONE BLOCK RADIUS SURROUNDING THE DAMAGE. PSE'S ELECTRIC FIRST RESPONSE WAS CONTACTED TO DE-ENERGIZE CUSTOMERS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY AS A PRECAUTION. IN ORDER TO ISOLATE AND SHUT DOWN THE GAS LEAK, A COMBINATION OF PIPE SQUEEZES AND VALVE CLOSURES WERE REQUIRED. THE BREAK WAS JUST SOUTH OF A TWO-WAY CONNECTION TO A 2"" PE MAIN THAT RUNS PERPENDICULAR (EAST/WEST) TO THE 4"" PE MAIN. VALVES ON THE 2"" MAIN, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE DAMAGED 4"" MAIN, WERE NOTED BY GAS FIRST RESPONSE PERSONNEL AS REQUIRING EXCAVATION TO OPERATE. BECAUSE OF THE GAS READS IN THE AREA, SQUEEZE LOCATIONS ON THE 2"" MAIN FURTHER FROM THE DAMAGED 4"" WERE SELECTED AS ALTERNATES TO EXCAVATING AND OPERATING THE VALVES. SQUEEZING OF THE 4"" PE MAIN NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE DAMAGE WAS NOT FEASIBLE AS THE DEPTH OF MAIN WAS DETERMINED TO BE 6 TO 7 FEET DEEP. INSTEAD, MULTIPLE VALVE CLOSURES WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE ISOLATION PLAN. IN THE COURSE OF OPERATING ONE OF THE SELECTED VALVES, THE VALVE ADAPTER BROKE AND SO AN ADDITIONAL SQUEEZE NORTH OF THE VALVE WAS MADE. SHUT DOWN OF THE 4"" PE MAIN WAS ACHIEVED AT 11:10. A TOTAL OF 47 CUSTOMER OUTAGES WERE IDENTIFIED. THE FINAL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED ON JULY 1, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 02:00; THE SYSTEM WAS RE-PRESSURIZED AND THE CUSTOMER RELIGHTS BEGAN. THE CONTRACTOR HAD REQUESTED LOCATES; IT WAS DISCOVERED DURING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE THAT THE LOCATE MARKS DID NOT COVER THE FULL SCOPE OF THE LOCATE TICKET AND WERE NON-EXISTENT IN THE AREA OF THE DAMAGED MAIN. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO NRC DUE TO PROPERTY DAMAGE EXCEEDING $50,000. NRC # 1280754 SUBMITTED ON JUNE 30, 2020 AT 14:11 NRC # 1280940 SUBMITTED ON JULY 2, 2020 AT 13:39 (48 HOURS PHMSA REQUIRED UPDATE).