NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS CO
gas_distribution Incident — MANCHESTER, NJ — April 2, 2019
Incident Information
| Incident Date | April 2, 2019 |
| Operator | NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | MANCHESTER |
| State | NJ |
| County | OCEAN |
| Coordinates | 40.01621, -74.31017 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE BY OPERATOR'S CONTRACTOR (SECOND PARTY) |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $91,658 |
| Emergency Response | $38,452 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON APRIL 2, 2019, NJNG RESPONDED TO AN ODOR CALLED IN BY OCEAN COUNTY SHERRIFF'S OFFICE AT 11:32 A.M. UPON ARRIVAL AT 2313 ROUTE 547, MANCHESTER AT 11:40 A.M., GAS-IN-AIR PERCENTAGES WERE CONFIRMED WITHIN THE VICINITY OF AN EXCAVATOR INSTALLING A NEW GAS MAIN. FURTHER INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THE EXCAVATOR DAMAGED A GAS FACILITY WHILE HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONALLY DRILLING THE NEW GAS MAIN. NJNG CONFIRMED THE EXCAVATOR DAMAGED THE 12-INCH STEEL MAIN LOCATED UNDER THE ROADWAY WHILE REAMING WHICH CREATED A DENT AND SMALL MECHANICAL PUNCTURE IN THE PIPELINE. THE EXCAVATOR HAD A VALID ONE CALL TICKET AND THE 12-INCH STEEL MAIN WAS PROPERLY LOCATED. NJNG CLOSED VALVES TO SHUT DOWN GAS FLOW TO THE DAMAGED FACILITY. THE DAMAGED SECTION WAS BLOWN DOWN AND REPLACED ON APRIL 3, 2019. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES AND THE ESCAPING NATURAL GAS DID NOT IGNITE OR EXPLODE AS A RESULT OF THIS DAMAGE. THIS WAS A REPORTABLE INCIDENT AS THE OPERATOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND REPAIR COSTS EXCEEDED $50,000."
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.