PEOPLES GAS SYSTEM INC

Incident Narrative

AT 21:07 ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2016, THE PEOPLES GAS SYSTEM (PGS) CALL CENTER RECEIVED A REPORT OF A DAMAGED PIPELINE NEAR IMPERIAL PARKWAY AND MEADOWS LANE IN BONITA SPRINGS, FLORIDA. PGS CONTACTED THE THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR WORKING IN THE AREA - PIKE ELECTRIC - AND CONFIRMED BOTH THAT PIKE ELECTRIC EXCAVATED INTO THE PIPELINE, AND THAT THE PIPELINE WAS LEAKING. A PGS TECHNICIAN WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE AND WHILE IN ROUTE, HE RECEIVED A FOLLOW-UP TELEPHONE CALL FROM PIKE ELECTRIC, WHICH INFORMED HIM THAT ESCAPING NATURAL GAS FROM THE PIPELINE HAD IGNITED. PGS DISPATCHED THE REPAIR CONTRACTOR. THE DAMAGED LINE WAS A 6-INCH NATURAL GAS PLASTIC MAIN THAT PROVIDED SERVICE TO APPROXIMATELY 1000 HOMES. THE GAS PIPELINE WAS VERIFIED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO PREVENT AN INTERRUPTION TO THE DOWNSTREAM CUSTOMERS DURING THE LEAK. THE BONITA SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO CONTAIN THE FIRE FROM SPREADING, AND PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. THE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF CONFIRMED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD CONTROL THE FIRE WHILE PGS WORKED TO INSTALL A BYPASS LINE (A BYPASS LINE WAS INSTALLED TO PREVENT AN INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE TO THE DOWNSTREAM CUSTOMERS WHEN THE GAS MAIN WAS SQUEEZED OFF). THE BYPASS LINE WAS PLACED IN SERVICE AT APPROXIMATELY 03:00 ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2016. AFTER THIS INSTALLATION, GAS SERVICE TO THE DOWNSTREAM CUSTOMERS WAS THEN BEING SUPPLIED VIA A COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS TRAILER. THE DAMAGED GAS MAIN WAS SQUEEZED OFF, THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, AND THE SITE WAS ""MADE SAFE"" AT APPROXIMATELY 03:30 ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2016. PIKE ELECTRIC WAS CONTRACTED BY FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY TO EXCAVATE HOLES USING AN AUGER, IN ORDER TO INSTALL NEW POWER POLES. PIKE ELECTRIC NOTIFIED SUNSHINE 811 OF THE PLANNED EXCAVATIONS. PGS RECEIVED THE SUNSHINE 811 NOTIFICATIONS, AND MARKED THE PIPELINE VIA A SPRAY PAINT OFFSET INDICATION AND YELLOW FLAGS, AS REQUIRED. THE PIPELINE WAS UNDETECTABLE USING THE TRACER WIRE, SO PGS USED MAPS TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THE PIPELINE. THE PIPELINE MARKINGS WERE VERIFIED AS ACCURATE. THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS TO PIKE ELECTRIC'S TRUCK-MOUNTED AUGER EQUIPMENT. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROPERTY DAMAGE, CONTAINED IN PART D 2A OF THIS REPORT, REFLECTS THE PUBLICLY-AVAILABLE COST OF SIMILAR AUGER EQUIPMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY FOR SALE.