"UGI UTILITIES, INC"
gas_distribution Incident — SWIFTWATER, PA — December 25, 2020
Incident Information
| Incident Date | December 25, 2020 |
| Operator | "UGI UTILITIES, INC" |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | SWIFTWATER |
| State | PA |
| County | MONROE |
| Coordinates | 41.09537, -75.32647 |
Cause
| Cause | "PIPE, WELD, OR JOINT FAILURE" |
| Subcause | FUSION JOINT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 2 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $39,310 |
| Emergency Response | $4,615 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"AT APPROXIMATELY 1:44 AM DECEMBER 25, 2020, UGI EMPLOYEES RESPONDED TO A CALL FROM MONROE COUNTY 911 REPORTING AN INCIDENT INVOLVING THE RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE 12-INCH HDPE, 100 PSIG MAOP DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE HAD SEPARATED AT THE BUTT FUSION INTERFACE FROM AN UNKNOWN CAUSE. THERE WAS ONE CONFIRMED FATALITY AND TWO INJURIES REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION FROM AN OVERTURNED VEHICLE. IN RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT, THE PIPELINE WAS REPAIRED AND PLACED BACK IN OPERATION. THE PIPELINE OPERATING PRESSURE HAS BEEN LOWERED FROM 94 PSIG TO 60 PSIG AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. UGI IS FILING THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AND FINAL REPORT AFTER A THIRD-PARTY LAB COMPLETED TESTING ON THE FAILED BUTT FUSION JOINT AND A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS. THE ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: 1) INADEQUATE INTERFACIAL PRESSURE APPLIED DURING THE JOINING PHASE OF THE FUSION PROCESS AND/OR EXCESSIVE DWELL TIME BETWEEN HEAT SOAK AND JOINING PHASES; AND 2) THE FAILURE TO FOLLOW APPROPRIATE INSTALLATION AND INSPECTION PROCEDURES."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.