DOMINION ENERGY OHIO
gas_distribution Incident — AKRON, OH — November 12, 2020
Incident Information
| Incident Date | November 12, 2020 |
| Operator | DOMINION ENERGY OHIO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | AKRON |
| State | OH |
| County | SUMMIT |
| Coordinates | 41.12937, -81.63446 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE BY THIRD PARTY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $72,534 |
| Emergency Response | $10,334 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR DOING ROAD WORK HIT A 20"" HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE OPERATING AT 50PSIG. IN ORDER TO AVOID A LARGE-SCALE OUTAGE, THE AREA WAS SECURED AND MONITORED WHILE A 20"" STOPPLE FITTING WAS PROCURED AND INSTALLED TO ISOLATE THE GAS RELEASE. THIS LIMITED THE IMPACT TO FOUR COMMERCIAL AND FOUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS. THE CAUSE OF THIS EVENT WAS THAT THE THIRD PARTY EXCAVATOR FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN POWERED EQUIPMENT AND THE UNDERGROUND FACILITY. DEO HAS DETERMINED THAT THE EXCAVATOR WAS AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF DEO'S FACILITIES, BUT ELECTED NOT TO UTILIZE HAND TOOLS, INSTEAD ATTEMPTING TO DIG WITH POWERED EQUIPMENT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE PIPELINE."
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.