CASCADE NATURAL GAS CORP

Incident Narrative

ORIGINAL NRC# 1263446 48-HOUR FOLLOW-UP NRC# 1263581 ON 10/17/19 AT 710 NORTH STRATFORD ROAD, MOSES LAKE, WA, A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR USED A MINI EXCAVATOR ALONGSIDE A CNGC FIELD EMPLOYEE WITH A SHOVEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE A LONG STUB SERVICE LINE THAT WAS UNLOCATABLE. THEY DUG 5.5 FEET DEEP, BUT WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE STUB. ON 10/18/19, TWO CNGC FIELD EMPLOYEES ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THIS STUB SERVICE LINE WITH NO SUCCESS; THEY CONTACTED A CNGC CORROSION CONTROL TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE. ON 10/21/19, THE CORROSION CONTROL TECHNICIAN ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE STUB SERVICE LINE, AGAIN, WITH NO SUCCESS. MARKINGS PROVIDED BY CNGC WERE BASED ON MEASUREMENTS FROM FIELD DRAWINGS. ON 10/22/19, TWO CNGC FIELD EMPLOYEES WERE ON-SITE (SEE FIRST OPERATOR ARRIVAL) AT 8:30AM WORKING WITH THE THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR. AT 9:00AM, THE CONTRACTOR WAS DIGGING VERY SLOWLY WHEN HE STRUCK THE UNLOCATABLE STUB SERVICE LINE AND PULLED THE 3/4"" AUTO PERF TEE AWAY FROM THE 6"" STEEL MAIN CREATING A 3/8"" HOLE. ONCE THE BLOWING GAS WAS UNDER CONTROL AND ON BYPASS, CNGC CREW DUG UP TO PERMANENTLY REPAIR THE DAMAGE. SYSTEM PRESSURE WAS 40PSIG AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND WAS LOWERED TO 27PSIG AT 2:50PM IN ORDER TO MITIGATE GAS LOSS. ALL AFFECTED SERVICE LINES WERE SHUT OFF AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. CNG BECAME AWARE THE REPAIR COSTS WERE NEARING $50,000 ON NOVEMBER 8, 2019 AT WHICH TIME CNG CONTACTED THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER.