ATLANTA GAS LIGHT CO

Incident Narrative

AN EXCAVATOR (LGM SERVICES LLC.) INSTALLING FIBER OPTIC COMMUNICATIONS CONDUIT BY DIRECTIONAL DRILLING STRUCK AN ATLANTA GAS LIGHT COMPANY 2-INCH PE 45 PSIG NATURAL GAS MAIN DURING A BORE. AN ADJACENT SEWER MAIN WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE DAMAGE TO THE GAS MAIN AND THE DAMAGE TO THE SEWER MAIN WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 FT., 6 IN. GAS LEAKING FROM THE 2-INCH GAS MAIN ENTERED UNDERGROUND SEWER FACILITIES THROUGH THE DAMAGED PORTION OF THE SEWER MAIN AND THEN TRAVELED TO THE SEWER LATERAL FOR THE COFFEE SHOP LOCATED AT 23 E. DAME AVE., HOMERVILLE, GA. AN INSPECTION OF THE COFFEE SHOP REVEALED AN IMPROPERLY PLACED P-TRAP, WHICH IS THE LIKELY PATH OF ENTRANCE OF THE NATURAL GAS INTO THE COFFEE SHOP. THE GAS THAT ENTERED THE COFFEE SHOP THROUGH THE LATERAL WAS THEN IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN IGNITION SOURCE. THERE ARE NO GAS FACILITIES GOING TO THE COFFEE SHOP. THREE (3) INDIVIDUALS IN THE STRUCTURE WERE INJURED RESULTING IN HOSPITALIZATION. IN ADDITION TO THE DAMAGE TO THE COFFEE SHOP STRUCTURE ITSELF, TWO PARKED VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED. LOCATES WERE REQUESTED BY THE EXCAVATOR IN THE GENERAL AREA OF THEIR WORK. HOWEVER, THE EXCAVATOR WAS DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THOSE LOCATE REQUEST(S). THERE WAS NO LOCATE REQUEST MADE FOR THE AREA WHERE THE DAMAGE TO THE GAS MAIN OCCURRED. IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE EXCAVATOR HAD WHITE LINED THE AREA OF THE DRILL PATH OR WHERE THE DAMAGE TO THE GAS MAIN OCCURRED, BUT THE EXCAVATOR HAD PLACED WHITE FLAGS IN OTHER NEARBY AREAS. ADDITIONAL NRC REPORT NUMBER 1222363 WAS CREATED FOR THE SAME EVENT AFTER A 48 HOUR SUPPLEMENTAL CALL WAS PLACED WITH THE NRC.