ATLANTA GAS LIGHT CO

Incident Narrative

A THIRD-PARTY PARTY EXCAVATOR (NEXTIER INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS) STRUCK AND DAMAGED AN ATLANTA GAS LIGHT COMPANY (AGLC) 6-INCH PLASTIC GAS MAIN WHILE DIRECTIONALLY BORING TO INSTALL TELECOMMUNICATION FIBER MAIN NEAR 2661 CAMPBELLTON ROAD SW, ATLANTA. ESCAPING GAS FROM THE DAMAGE MIGRATED TO A NEARBY STRUCTURE AT 2683 CAMPBELLTON ROAD SW, ATLANTA (PO FREDDIE'S BBQ RESTAURANT) AND WAS IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN IGNITION SOURCE WHERE A SUBSEQUENT EXPLOSION AND FIRE OCCURRED AT THE RESTAURANT RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE. AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BY FALLING DEBRIS FROM THE EXPLOSION. UPON ARRIVAL, AGLC PERSONNEL WORKED WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO SECURE THE AREA AND MONITOR THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR GAS. GAS WAS SHUT-OFF TO THE DAMAGED AREA AT 14:00 HOURS BY PERFORMING FOUR (4) SQUEEZE-OFF OPERATIONS. A LARGE PROJECT MARKING ' UTILITY FACILITY LOCATING AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED ON MAY 5, 2023, WITH NEXTIER INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS (EXCAVATOR) TO LOCATE THE AREA AS A LARGE PROJECT EXCAVATION. AS TO THE LOCATION OF THIS INCIDENT, THE LARGE PROJECT MARKING AGREEMENT STATED 'CONTINUE LOCATES EAST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CAMPBELLTON ROAD SW TO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF CAMPBELLTON ROAD SW AND DODSON DRIVE SW. LOCATE THIS CORNER 50 FEET IN ALL DIRECTIONS. THEN CONTINUE EAST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CAMPBELLTON ROAD SW TO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF WILLIS MILL ROAD AND CAMPBELLTON ROAD SW AND LOCATE IT 50 FEET IN ALL DIRECTIONS'. AGLC FACILITIES WERE LAST MARKED BY STAKE CENTER LOCATING TO SATISFY THIS REQUEST ON MARCH 13, 2024. INVESTIGATION OF THE SITE REVEALED THAT THE LOCATE MARKS WERE ACCURATE AT THE POINT OF DAMAGE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE EXCAVATOR DID NOT VERIFY THE LOCATION AND DEPTH OF AGLC FACILITIES BY POT HOLING AND INSTEAD BLINDLY CROSSED THE MARKS ON THE GROUND, THE GAS MAIN WAS DAMAGED. AGLC INITIALLY NOTIFIED THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC) UNDER NRC REPORT NUMBER 1394734. ADDITIONAL NRC REPORT NUMBER 1394916 WAS CREATED FOR THE SAME EVENT AFTER A SUPPLEMENTAL CALL WAS PLACED WITH THE NRC TO UPDATE THE INITIAL TELEPHONIC NOTICE.