ADAIRSVILLE, CITY OF

Incident Narrative

4:25 PM: I, STEVE SMITH, (CITY OF ADAIRSVILLE) ARRIVED ON SITE. BRADLEY ATKINS (SOUTHEASTERN NATURAL GAS SERVICES OF ROME) WAS IN THE HOLE AND HAD A 2"" STEEL GAS LINE EXPOSED WITH A SHORT SECTION CUT OUT. AT THE TIME I ARRIVED HE STILL HAD GAS BLEEDING FROM THE SOUTH END OF THE LINE WHERE HE WAS WELDING ON SOMETHING AND GAS FROM THE NORTH END OF THE LINE WHICH WAS OPEN AND HAD BEEN SET ON FIRE. I SPOKE WITH BRADLEY AND HE TOLD ME HE THOUGHT THERE MUST BE ANOTHER FEED ON THE NORTH END OF THE LINE SO I TOLD HIM I WOULD SEE IF I COULD FIND WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. 4:35 PM: I ASKED SHANE FERGUSON TO PULL THE BACKHOE TO A VALVE ABOUT 100 FEET NORTH OF THE HOLE WHERE THE LINE WAS EXPOSED. I WAS TOLD THAT SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO OPERATE THE VALVE AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS STRIPED. I INSTRUCTED SHANE TO DIG THE VALVE UP. ONCE THE VALVE WAS EXPOSED I PUT A PIPE WRENCH ON THE VALVE TO SEE IF IT WOULD MOVE AND PARTIALLY OPERATED IT. 4:45 PM: I RETURNED TO THE HOLE WHERE THE LINE WAS EXPOSED AND SOMEONE TOLD ME BRADLEY HAD BEEN BURNED. BRADLEY WAS OVER AT HIS TRUCK SO I WALKED OVER AND ASKED HIM IF HE WAS OK, HE SAID HE WAS FINE BUT I TOLD HIM HE NEEDED TO GET CHECKED OUT. BRADLEY WANTED HIS WIFE TO DRIVE HIM TO THE DOCTOR SO WHILE WE WERE WAITING BRADLEY GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS TO GIVE TO LONNIE TANNER WHO WAS COMING TO FINISH THE JOB. I WROTE THE INSTRUCTIONS DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER. 5:15 PM: BRADLEY LEFT FOR THE HOSPITAL WITH HIS WIFE. 5:20 PM: AT THIS TIME WE PINCHED OFF THE LINE WHICH WAS STILL BURNING ON THE NORTH SECTION OF THE CUT OUT SECTION AND THE GAS HAD BLED OFF OF THE SOUTH END OF THE LINE. I WALKED OVER ACROSS HIGHWAY 140 TO THE REGULATOR STATION FEEDING SHAW TO SEE IF I COULD FIGURE OUT WHERE THE GAS WHICH WAS STILL ON THE NORTH END OF THE LINE WAS COMING FROM. AT THE REGULATOR STATION SOUTHEASTERN NATURAL GAS SERVICES OF ROME HAD TAKEN OUT A 1/4"" PLUG ON THE INLET SIDE OF REGULATOR WHICH WAS STILL BLEEDING GAS OFF THE LINE ON THE NORTH SECTION OF LINE. A 2"" VALVE ON THE OUTLET SIDE TO SHAW HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY TURNED OFF TRAPPING THE LINE PACK BETWEEN THE REGULATOR STATION AND SHAW WHICH IS ABOUT 350 FEET OF 4"" HDPE LINE. 5:35 PM: I BLED THE GAS OFF ON THE SHAW SIDE OF REGULATOR STATION AND THE GAS ALSO STOPPED ON THE BLEEDING PLUG ON THE INLET SIDE SO THE GAS HAD BEEN BLEEDING BACK THROUGH A VALVE ON THE REGULATOR STATION. ALL THE GAS WAS OFF BOTH ENDS OF THE LINE BY 5:45 PM. 5:45 PM: WE WAITED FOR LONNIE TANNER TO ARRIVE. 6:15 PM: LONNIE TANNER ARRIVED AND I GAVE HIM THE PAPER WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS WHICH BRADLEY HAD LEFT FOR HIM. LONNIE COMPLETED THE JOB PER THE INSTRUCTIONS. 7:30 PM: AT THIS TIME I KNEW BRADLEY WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL SO I CAME BACK TO THE OFFICE TO MAKE TELEPHONE CALLS. 7:35 PM: I CALLED JEFF BAGGETT WITH GEORGIA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND INFORMED HIM OF THE INCIDENT. 8:02 PM: I CALLED THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER TO INFORM THEM OF THE INCIDENT. THE CASE NUMBER I WAS GIVEN IS 1169958.