BLACK HILLS ENERGY
gas_distribution Incident — LAWRENCE, KS — July 13, 2020
Incident Information
| Incident Date | July 13, 2020 |
| Operator | BLACK HILLS ENERGY |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | LAWRENCE |
| State | KS |
| County | DOUGLAS |
| Coordinates | 38.95707, -95.25217 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | DAMAGE BY OPERATOR OR OPERATOR'S CONTRACTOR NOT RELATED TO EXCAVATION AND NOT DUE TO MOTORIZED VEHICLE/EQUIPMENT DAMAGE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $15,000 |
| Emergency Response | $5,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"WHILE WORKING ON A 6"" STEEL LINE, CONTRACTOR TRIED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE STOPPLING EQUIPMENT. THIS ADJUSTMENT CAUSED GAS TO ESCAPE AND WAS IGNITED BY A NEARBY WELDERS FLAME. A PARALLEL 6"" PE LINE ADJACENT TO THE 6"" STEEL LINE MELTED FROM THE FIRE. ONCE THE PE LINE WAS COMPROMISED IT FUELED THE FIRE FURTHER."
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.