COLUMBIA GAS OF MASSACHUSETTS
gas_distribution Incident — LAWRENCE, MA — September 27, 2019
Incident Information
| Incident Date | September 27, 2019 |
| Operator | COLUMBIA GAS OF MASSACHUSETTS |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | LAWRENCE |
| State | MA |
| County | ESSEX |
| Coordinates | 42.69708, -71.16329 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,764,026 |
| Emergency Response | $81,000 |
| Other Costs | $796,491 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"IN THE EARLY MORNING OF FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019, WHILE CONDUCTING A CHECK OF WATER VALVES, CONTRACTORS WORKING FOR THE CITY OF LAWRENCE INADVERTENTLY CLOSED A LEGACY GAS VALVE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO AN ABANDONED GAS MAIN. THE ABANDONED GAS MAIN HAD WITHIN IT AN INSERTED, ACTIVE GAS MAIN. THE TURNING OF THE LEGACY VALVE SHEARED THE ACTIVE INSERTED MAIN. AT 03:08 AM, COLUMBIA GAS RECEIVED A GAS ODOR CALL AND DISPATCHED A TECH TO INVESTIGATE. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES WERE IMPLEMENTED. UPDATE: PART A: 16. CUSTOMER IMPACT NUMBER UPDATED TO INCLUDE CUSTOMER METERS THAT WERE TURNED OFF IN THE AREA BUT NOT ON THE IMPACTED MAIN. GENERAL PUBLIC EVACUATED IS NOT AVAILABLE AS EVACUATED BY FIRE AND POLICE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS. PART D: 2B. ADDITIONAL DOLLARS ADDED 3. CUSTOMER IMPACT NUMBER UPDATED TO INCLUDE CUSTOMER METERS THAT WERE TURNED OFF IN THE AREA BUT NOT ON THE IMPACTED MAIN."
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.