MICHIGAN GAS UTILITIES CO

Incident Narrative

3/4' STEEL SERVICE TEE ATTACHED OUR 4' HIGH PRESSURE STEEL GAS MAIN AT 408 W EXCHANGE WAS BROKE OFF OF THE GAS MAIN BY THE BLADE OF A BULLDOZER WHILE THE AREA WAS BEING BACKFILLED BY THE WEST MICHIGAN DIRTWORKS ROAD CONSTRUCTION CREW AT APPROX. 1:45PM ON 5/15/19. DAMAGING PARTY CALLED AN MGU EMPLOYEE DIRECTLY AT 1:43PM TO NOTIFY OF DAMAGE. DAMAGING PARTY THEN CALLED THE MGU GAS EMERGENCY # AT 1:55PM. TEN NEARBY HOUSES DOWNWIND OF THE DAMAGE WERE EVACUATED BY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND MGU EMPLOYEES AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. IT WAS DECIDED THE BLOWING GAS WAS ESCAPING INTO THE ATMOSPHERE WAS NOT PRESENTING AN IMMEDIATE DANGER AND MGU AND KPI WOULD PROCEED WITH INSTALLING A PERMANENT BYPASS AROUND THE DAMAGE LOCATION. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS REPAIR, MGU EMPLOYEES WERE ROUTINELY CHECKING GAS CONCENTRATION LEVELS IN THE AIR AND BUILDINGS DOWNWIND OF THE BLOWING GAS. AT APPROX. 9:15AM ON FRIDAY 5/17/19, THE STOPPERS WERE SET AND THE BLOWING GAS WAS STOPPED. A SERVICE TECH ARRIVED ON SITE AT APPROX. 1PM AND BEGAN TURNING ON GAS TO THE CUSTOMERS THAT WERE TURNED OFF AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. THE ENTIRE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED AT APPROX. 6PM ON FRIDAY 5/17/19. ORIGINAL NRC REPORT NUMBER IS 1245847, REVISED NRC REPORT NUMBER IS 1246181.