ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION - MID-TEX

Incident Narrative

48 HR. NRC REPORT NO. 1209590 AT 3:26 PM ON APRIL 15, 2018, ATMOS ENERGY RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE ARLINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTING THAT A GAS MAIN HAD BEEN STRUCK AT THE INTERSECTION OF DITTO AND DUGAN IN ARLINGTON, TX. AN ATMOS ENERGY SERVICE TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AT 4:02 PM AND DETERMINED THAT A GAS MAIN AND A WATER LINE HAD BEEN DAMAGED DURING A CITY PROJECT TO EXCAVATE THE WATER LINE. THE EXCAVATED TRENCH WAS FILLING WITH WATER, AND THE GAS LINE WAS LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE WATER. AN ATMOS ENERGY CONSTRUCTION CREW ARRIVED AT 4:20 PM TO REPAIR THE GAS LEAK AND, AFTER FIRST CONFIRMING NO GAS WAS PRESENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE, BEGAN PUMPING WATER FROM THE TRENCH USING GASOLINE-FIRED WATER PUMPS PROVIDED BY THE CITY. AFTER SOME TIME, AN ACCIDENTAL IGNITION OCCURRED. BECAUSE THIS ACTION LED TO THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT MADE THIS A REPORTABLE INCIDENT, THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IS LISTED AS ""INCORRECT OPERATIONS."" AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM, THE GAS IGNITED OVER THE TRENCH DAMAGING A BACKHOE THAT WAS ADJACENT TO THE TRENCH. A FLASH OCCURRED INJURING A CITY EMPLOYEE AND TWO FIRE FIGHTERS. THE INJURY OF ONE OF THE FIRE FIGHTERS RESULTED IN HOSPITALIZATION; THEREFORE, ATMOS ENERGY REPORTED THIS AS AN INCIDENT. ATMOS ENERGY CREWS ELIMINATED THE GAS LEAK AT 9:40 PM AND THE GAS MAIN WAS REPAIRED AND PLACED BACK INTO SERVICE ON APRIL 17, 2018 AT 5:00 PM.