WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO
gas_distribution Incident — SILVER SPRING, MD
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT CO |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | SILVER SPRING |
| State | MD |
| County | MONTGOMERY COUNTY |
| Coordinates | 38.99843, -77.00109 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER INCIDENT CAUSE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Injuries | 33 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON AUGUST 10, 2016 AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE OCCURRED AT 8701 ARLISS STREET IN SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) CONCLUDED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION IN BUILDING 8701 WAS THE FAILURE OF AN INDOOR MERCURY SERVICE REGULATOR. WASHINGTON GAS BELIEVES THE EVIDENCE, INCLUDING MULTIPLE SOURCES OF NATURAL GAS ONSITE THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT, DOES NOT PERMIT A CONCLUSIVE DETERMINATION OF PROBABLE CAUSE. THUS, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS REPORT, WASHINGTON GAS AVERS THAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE REMAINS UNDETERMINED. NONETHELESS, WASHINGTON GAS HAS IMPLEMENTED ALL SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE NTSB WITH RESPECT TO THE INCIDENT, INCLUDING EXPEDITED REMOVAL OF MERCURY SERVICE REGULATORS REMAINING ON THE COMPANY'S SYSTEM. THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION APPROVED WASHINGTON GAS' EXPEDITED REMOVAL PROGRAM ON DECEMBER 18, 2020. OPERATOR NOTE: REFERENCE PART A, QUESTION 21.D, ""NO"" IS SELECTED BECAUSE OPTION OF ""UNKNOWN"" IS NOT PROVIDED.
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.