CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

"ON DECEMBER 8, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 13:52 HOURS, CONSUMERS ENERGY WAS NOTIFIED OF A DAMAGE TO A 6-INCH MP PLASTIC NATURAL GAS PIPELINE. THE PIPELINE WAS STRUCK AND COMPLETELY SEVERED BY A CONTRACTOR PERFORMING SANITARY SEWER WORK. THE DAMAGE OCCURRED NEAR 3050 POLLOCK ROAD, GRAND BLANC (GENESEE COUNTY) MICHIGAN. A GAS SERVICE WORKER (GSW) AND DISTRIBUTION CREW (CREW) ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 14:28 AND 14:47 HOURS RESPECTIVELY. THE GSW CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED THE SITE AND SURROUNDING AREA UNTIL THE PIPELINE SEGMENT WAS ISOLATED AND BLOWING GAS CONTAINED. NO FATALITIES AND OR INJURIES OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE PIPELINE DAMAGE. THE CREW IN CONCERT WITH GAS SYSTEM PLANNING IDENTIFIED THE SYSTEM AS A TWO-WAY FED SYSTEM. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE PIPELINE WAS COMPLETELY SEVERED AN ISOLATION PLAN WAS DEVELOPED WHICH INVOLVED OPERATING AN EXISTING VALVE LOCATED EAST OF THE DAMAGE PIPE SEGMENT AND SQUEEZING THE PIPE AT A REMOTE LOCATION TO THE WEST OF THE SEGMENT. PRIOR TO ISOLATION THE PIPELINE WAS GAUGED AT TWO LOCATIONS (LOCATIONS AT THE EAST AND WEST READ 10 PSIG). THE VALVE TO THE EAST WAS CLOSED AT APPROXIMATELY 16:50 HOURS AND PRESSURE ON THE GAUGES DROPPED TO ZERO. THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION OF A LOSS OF SERVICE TO THE CUSTOMERS WEST OF THE DAMAGE. THE DAMAGED SEGMENT WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH APPROXIMATELY 5 FOOT OF 6"" PLASTIC MEDIUM-PRESSURE PIPELINE. FOLLOWING THE PIPELINE REPAIR, A RESTORATION PLAN WAS EXECUTED WHICH INVOLVED SHUTTING OFF (~1300) METERS TO ALL IMPACTED RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, PURGING APPROXIMATELY 27 MILES OF PIPELINE AT MULTIPLE LOCATION AND SERVICE RESTORATION TO IMPACTED CUSTOMERS."