ATLANTA GAS LIGHT CO

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 8, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 15:53 HOURS, A THIRD-PARTY PARTY EXCAVATOR (WASHINGTON COMMUNICATION) STRUCK AND DAMAGED AN ATLANTA GAS LIGHT COMPANY (AGLC) 6-INCH STEEL GAS MAIN WHILE DIRECTIONALLY BORING TO INSTALL ELECTRIC CONDUIT LINES AT THE INTERSECTION OF NORTHSIDE DRIVE AND OLD POWERS FERRY ROAD, SANDY SPRINGS, GA. UPON ARRIVAL, AGLC PERSONNEL SECURED THE AREA AND MONITORED THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR GAS MIGRATION. BASED ON A FIELD ASSESSMENT OF CONDITIONS SURROUNDING THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT AND TO NOT SHUT DOWN A LARGE METRO AREA SHOULD AN EXISTING VALVE NORTH OF THE DAMAGE BEEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OTHER TWO VALVES OPERATED, A DECISION WAS MADE TO SQUEEZE THE PIPE AT A SAFE DISTANCE NORTH OF THE DAMAGE. UPON EXCAVATING TO EXPOSE THE EXISTING PIPE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PIPE WAS APPROXIMATELY 66 INCHES DEEP AND UNDER APPROXIMATELY 36-INCHES OF ASPHALT, GAS WAS SHUT-OFF TO THE DAMAGED AREA ON NOVEMBER 8, 2023, AT 23:54 HOURS BY OPERATING TWO (2) VALVES AND PERFORMING ONE (1) SQUEEZE OFF OPERATION. A LOCATE REQUEST WAS MADE ON NOVEMBER 2, 2023, BY WASHINGTON COMMUNICATION (EXCAVATOR) TO LOCATE ""W NORTHSIDE DR, OLD POWERS FERRY RD, LOCATE THE ENTIRE INTERSECTION FOR 50FT IN ALL DIRECTIONSBOTH SIDES OF THE RD AND WITHIN THE R/O/W ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ST, THIS IS A 3 LEG INT, IT DOES NOTINCLUDE LOCATING ALONG RIVERVIEW RD NW"". AGLC FACILITIES WERE MARKED BY USIC LOCATING COMPANY TO SATISFY THIS REQUEST ON NOVEMBER 6, 2023, AT 11:26 HOURS. ON NOVEMBER 8, 2023, AT 13:00 HOURS, USIC REMARKED AGLC'S FACILITIES AS REQUESTED BY THE EXCAVATOR DUE TO FACILITY MARKINGS NO LONGER BEING VISIBLE. INVESTIGATION OF THE SITE REVEALED THAT THE LOCATE MARKS WERE ACCURATE AT THE POINT OF DAMAGE. HAD THE EXCAVATOR POTHOLED, IT WOULD HAVE DETERMINED THE LOCATION OF THE GAS MAIN. ONCE THE DAMAGED SECTION OF MAIN WAS EXPOSED AND ALL THE VARIABLES WERE OBTAINED TO PERFORM THE GAS LOSS CALCULATION, IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE AMOUNT OF GAS RELEASED EXCEEDED THE THRESHOLD FOR REPORTING AND THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC) WAS NOTIFIED AT THAT TIME ON NOVEMBER 9, 2023, AT 18:49 HOURS WHERE AN INITIAL NRC REPORT NUMBER 1383916 WAS CREATED. AN ADDITIONAL NRC REPORT NUMBER 1384000 WAS CREATED FOR THE SAME EVENT AFTER A SUPPLEMENTAL CALL WAS PLACED WITH THE NRC TO UPDATE THE INITIAL TELEPHONIC NOTICE.