ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORP

Incident Narrative

ON 8/21/2019 RGE WAS CALLED TO INVESTIGATE GAS ODOR BY A CUSTOMER AT 52 ILLINOIS ST, ROCHESTER NY. AFTER SURVEYING OUTSIDE AREA, THE RG&E CREW DETERMINED THE ODOR WAS ORIGINATING FROM 64 ILLINOIS ST. THE RG&E CREW KNOCKED ON DOOR OF 64 ILLINOIS ST HOWEVER NO-ONE ANSWERED THE DOOR TO PROVIDE THE COMPANY ACCESS TO THE BUILDING. THE RGE CREW REQUESTED FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE TO GAIN BUILDING ACCESS. FIRE DEPT ARRIVED AND PRIOR TO BUILDING ENTRY AN EXPLOSION IN THE HOUSE OCCURRED. THE SINGLE FAMILY BUILDING AT 64 ILLINOIS ST, ROCHESTER, NY WAS DESTROYED AND THE EXPLOSION CAUSED EXTERIOR DAMAGE TO ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL BUILDING. FIRE DEPT. ACTIONS FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION IDENTIFIED A HUMAN BODY IN THE BASEMENT OF 64 ILLINOIS ST. RGE AND FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL ON SCENE IDENTIFIED THAT THE SERVICE REGULATOR UPSTREAM OF THE COMPANY METER APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY TAMPERED WITH/DISASSEMBLED THAT WOULD HAVE RELEASED NATURAL GAS INTO THE BUILDING. AS PART OF THE COMPANIES NORMAL CONTROL ROOM NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES, THE NRC WAS NOTIFIED ON 8/21/2019 (REPORT # 1255972) HOWEVER THE COMPANY DID NOT CONSIDER IT REPORTABLE TO PHMSA SINCE THERE WAS NO COMPONENT FAILURE OR CONTRIBUTING COMPANY CAUSE OF THE EVENT. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH NYS PSC SAFETY STAFF SUGGESTED RG&E REQUEST CLARIFICATION FROM PHMSA (REQUEST SENT ON 10/10/2019, RESPONSE FROM MR. PETER KATCHMAR ON 10/16/2019). MR. KATCHMAR INDICATED THIS WAS A REPORTABLE EVENT.