NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS CO

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 16, 2018, A THIRD PARTY EXCAVATOR WAS OPERATING TRENCHING EQUIPMENT IN A ROADWAY TO INSTALL A WATER MAIN WHEN IT STRUCK THE GAS SERVICE LINE TO 360 CARTY AVENUE IN OCEANPORT, NEW JERSEY. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN AN AREA OF FORT MONMOUTH, A FORMER INSTALLATION OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, WHICH WAS UNDERGOING REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. OCEANPORT POLICE CONTACTED NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS (""NJNG"") AT 11:04 A.M. TO REPORT A POTENTIALLY BROKEN MAIN OR SERVICE AT THIS LOCATION AND ADVISED THAT A VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. NJNG PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED AT 11:05 A.M. AND ARRIVED ONSITE AT 11:16 A.M. WHERE POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL WERE ALREADY ONSITE. AT 11:22 A.M., NJNG PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THERE WAS A GAS LEAK AND IGNITION AS A RESULT OF DAMAGE TO THE ONE INCH PLASTIC SERVICE LINE CAUSED BY THE TRENCHER. THE IGNITION RESULTED IN THE TRENCHING MACHINE CATCHING FIRE WHICH ULTIMATELY DESTROYED THE MACHINE. THE AREA WAS MADE SAFE AT 12:49 P.M. BY SQUEEZING OFF THE 4 INCH PLASTIC MAIN. THE SERVICE TO 360 CARTY AVENUE, A VACANT STRUCTURE, WAS THEN RETIRED AT THE MAIN. THERE WERE NO OUTAGES AS A RESULT OF THE SHUTDOWN AND NO EVACUATIONS WERE NEEDED AS THE BUILDINGS IN THIS AREA WERE VACANT. AFTER RETIRING THE SERVICE LINE, GAS WAS REINTRODUCED TO THE MAIN AT 4:45 P.M. ON JANUARY 16, 2018. NO NEW SERVICE LINE WAS INSTALLED. THE SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE WAS PROPERLY MARKED OUT (NEW JERSEY ONE CALL TICKET NUMBER 173411986), THE MARKS WERE WITHIN TOLERANCE, AND THE SERVICE LINE HAD 23.5 INCHES DEPTH OF COVER. THE THIRD PARTY EXCAVATOR FAILED TO USE HAND TOOLS WHERE REQUIRED AND STRUCK THE SERVICE LINE WITH A MECHANIZED TRENCHER.