PEOPLES NATURAL GAS COMPANY LLC

Incident Narrative

DURING A ROUTINE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF DISTRICT REGULATOR STATION LS-260, PEOPLES EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO ISOLATE THE REGULATOR FROM THE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO INSPECT IT. IN ORDER TO ISOLATE THAT REGULATOR, THE STATION BY-PASS NEEDS TO BE MANUALLY OPERATED TO MAINTAIN OUTLET PRESSURE. THE EMPLOYEES PLACED A GAUGE ON THE RELIEF VALVE PIPING, WHICH WAS UPSTREAM AND NOW ISOLATED FROM THE OUTLET/DOWNSTREAM PIPING. WHILE MANUALLY OPERATING THE STATION'S BY-PASS THEY WERE UNABLE TO MONITOR THE OUTLET PRESSURE, RESULTING IN AN OVER PRESSURIZATION OF THE DOWNSTREAM SYSTEM IN THE TOWN OF ROBINSON, PA. SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTION ASKED BY NRC: WERE THE EMPLOYEES INVOLVED WITH THIS INCIDENT RE-QUALIFIED ON THE TASKS THAT LED TO THE OVER PRESSURIZATION? ON APRIL 29, 2020, THERE WERE THREE EMPLOYEES ON SITE PERFORMING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF DISTRICT REGULATOR STATION LS-260, ROBINSON, PA WHEN THE OVER PRESSURIZATION OCCURRED. ALL THREE INDIVIDUALS WERE RE-QUALIFIED ON JUNE 23, 2020 ON THE TASKS THAT LED TO THAT OVER PRESSURIZATION. DURING THE TIME PERIOD FROM 4/29/2020 UNTIL THEIR RE-QUALIFICATION ON 6/23/2020, NONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE PERMITTED TO PERFORM ANNUAL DISTRICT REGULATOR INSPECTIONS INDEPENDENTLY, BUT WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK WITH SENIOR DISTRICT REGULATOR OQ CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS.