NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 12, 2018, AN EXCAVATOR USING A TRACKHOE STRUCK A NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS (""NJNG"") 2 INCH GAS MAIN (THE ""PIPE"") AT 527 2ND STREET, LAKEWOOD, OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY. THE EXCAVATOR, V ROSE EXCAVATING, LLC, WAS WORKING WITHOUT A VALID MARKOUT TICKET AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. INCIDENT SUMMARY: THE PIPE, A 60 PSIG MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE OPERATING PRESSURE (""MAOP"") HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (""HDPE"") PERFORMANCE DRISCOPIPE 8000, WAS INSTALLED IN NOVEMBER 1996. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE PIPE WAS OPERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 46 PSIG. THE PIPE RUNS BEHIND EIGHT TOWNHOUSE RESIDENCES WITH ENTRANCES THAT FACE PRIVATE WAY AND 2ND STREET IN LAKEWOOD. THE MACHINE OPERATOR STRUCK THE PIPE WITH THE TRACKHOE BUCKET COMPLETELY SEVERING IT CIRCUMFERENTIALLY. UPON STRIKING THE PIPE, THE MACHINE OPERATOR LEFT THE TRACKHOE RUNNING AND FLED THE SCENE. THE ESCAPING NATURAL GAS IGNITED APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES AFTER THE PIPE WAS DAMAGED BY THE EXCAVATOR. NJNG RECEIVED AN INITIAL CALL FROM THE EXCAVATION COMPANY'S OWNER, VICTOR ROSE, AT 8:04 A.M. ON NOVEMBER 12, 2018 REPORTING DAMAGE TO A NATURAL GAS FACILITY. NJNG DISPATCHED PERSONNEL AT 8:09 A.M. WHO ARRIVED ON-SITE AT 8:22 A.M. NJNG'S TECHNICIAN TURNED OFF A 2"" PLASTIC VALVE STOPPING THE FLOW OF GAS TO THE DAMAGED MAIN AND 8 METERS AT 8:50 A.M. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS ALSO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, BLOCKED TRAFFIC ON NEARBY STREETS (2ND STREET, 3RD STREET, FOREST AVENUE, PRIVATE WAY, NORTH LAKE DRIVE AND 1ST STREET) AND ENSURED THE PUBLIC WERE EVACUATED AWAY FROM THE SCENE DURING POLICE AND FIRE RESPONSE ACTIVITIES. AT 8:56 A.M., NJNG'S DIRECTOR OF SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT NOTIFIED THE NEW JERSEY BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES' BUREAU OF PIPELINE SAFETY AND BUREAU OF ONE CALL OF THE EXCAVATION DAMAGE, GAS IGNITION AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE VIA EMAIL. NJNG SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PERSONNEL NOTIFIED THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER OF THE INCIDENT AT 9:50 A.M. AND WERE ASSIGNED REPORT NUMBER 1230131. THE EXCAVATOR: VICTOR ROSE WHO INDICATED HE WAS THE OWNER OF V ROSE EXCAVATING, LLC, 990 CEDAR BRIDGE AVENUE, BRICK, NEW JERSEY CALLED FOR A MARKOUT ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2018, FOR 527 2ND STREET TO INSTALL A STORM SEWER. THE MARKOUT TICKET NUMBER 182440105 EXPIRED ON NOVEMBER 8, 2018, FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO THE DAMAGE. THE EXCAVATOR DID NOT HAVE A VALID MARKOUT TICKET AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. DAMAGE: THREE TOWNHOMES SUSTAINED FIRE DAMAGE: I) 527 2ND STREET; II) 525 2ND STREET; AND III) 207 PRIVATE WAY. THE DAMAGE INCLUDES BURNS TO THE STRUCTURE, SIDING, DECKS, INTERIOR DAMAGE AND OTHER SMOKE AND/OR WATER DAMAGE WHICH AT THIS TIME IS EXPECTED TO TOTAL MORE THAN $50,000.00. THE TRACKHOE SUSTAINED SOME SCORCHING DAMAGE BUT WAS CAPABLE OF DRIVING OFF THE PROPERTY AFTER THE AREA WAS MADE SAFE. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES OR INJURIES REQUIRING IN-PATIENT HOSPITALIZATION. RESTORATION OF GAS SERVICE: IN ORDER TO RESTORE GAS SERVICE TO THE AFFECTED DISTRIBUTION MAIN AND SERVICES FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET OF NEW 2"" HDPE MAIN WAS INSTALLED TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED MAIN. THE REPAIRED GAS MAIN WAS PUT BACK INTO SERVICE AT 5:30 P.M. ON NOVEMBER 12, 2018. AN UNDISTURBED PORTION OF THE PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED MAIN WAS MEASURED AT A DEPTH OF 3 FEET 6 INCHES. FOUR OF THE EIGHT AFFECTED METERS HAD THE GAS SERVICE RESTORED AFTER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. THE GAS SERVICE LINE TO 527 2ND STREET WAS RETIRED. GAS SERVICE WAS LEFT OFF TO THREE METERS AT END OF DAY. ONE OF THE THREE METERS HAS SINCE BEEN TURNED BACK ON. METERS AT 527 2ND STREET AND 207 PRIVATE WAY REMAIN OFF DUE TO THE FIRE DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURES.