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TRUSSVILLE, UTILITIES BOARD, CITY OF

gas_distribution Incident — TRUSSVILLE, AL

Incident Information

Report Date—
OperatorTRUSSVILLE, UTILITIES BOARD, CITY OF
Commodity—
Pipeline Typegas_distribution

Location

CityTRUSSVILLE
StateAL
CountyJEFFERSON
Coordinates33.63905, -86.56870

Cause

CauseEXCAVATION DAMAGE
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage—
Lost Commodity—
Public/Private Damage—
Emergency Response—
Environmental Remediation—
Other Costs—

Location Map

Incident Narrative

ON AUGUST 1, 2016 AT 1621, WE, UTILITIES BOARD CITY OF TRUSSVILLE, WERE NOTIFIED BY 811 TO LOCATE OUR FACILITIES AT 7550 COMMERCE CIRCLE, TRUSSVILLE, AL 35173 FOR STAR CONSTRUCTION, A CONTRACTOR FOR CENTURYLINK, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO EXCAVATE A TELECOMMUNICATION LINE. WE LOCATED OUR FACILITIES FOR THE CONTRACTOR ON AUGUST 3, 2016. WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE CONTRACTOR ON AUGUST 4, 2016 AT 1342 THAT THEY HAD HIT ONE OF OUR GAS LINES AT THIS LOCATION AND IT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 1347. WE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 1351 TO FIND A GAS SERVICE LINE HAD BEEN HIT AND WAS ON FIRE ALONG WITH THE CONTRACTOR'S MINI EXCAVATOR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PROTECTED EXPOSURES IN THE AREA OF THE FIRE WHILE WE BEGAN TO SHUT DOWN THE SERVICE LINE. WE PINCHED THE SERVICE LINE OFF APPROXIMATELY 56 FEET FROM THE DAMAGED AREA TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AT 1417. WE NOTIFIED THIS INCIDENT TO THE ALABAMA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AT 1423 AND TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER AT 1446 ON AUGUST 4, 2016. WE TALKED WITH THE CONTRACTOR'S OPERATOR WHO WAS EXCAVATING THE HOLE AND HE REPORTED THAT THE GAS IGNITED AS SOON AS THE LINE WAS HIT. HE STATED THAT IT SINGED HIS ARM HAIR, BUT HE WAS NOT INJURED. WITH THE CONTRACTOR'S ASSISTANCE, WE REMOVED THE MINI EXCAVATOR'S BUCKET THAT WAS STILL IN THE APPROXIMATELY 6 1/2 FOOT LONG BY 3 FOOT WIDE EXCAVATION TO SEE THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. WE OBSERVED THAT THE BUCKET HAD COMPLETELY SEVERED THE 3/4 INCH PE GAS SERVICE LINE AND THE 3/4 INCH CONDUIT CONTAINING ELECTRICAL WIRES TO THE PARKING LOT LIGHTS. ALSO LOCATED IN THE HOLE WERE TWO 3/4 INCH PVC SPRINKLER LINE WITH CONTROL WIRES, A 3/4 INCH CONDUIT CONTAINING ELECTRICAL WIRES, AND A 2 INCH CONDUIT CONTAINING TELECOMMUNICATION WIRES WHICH WERE NOT DAMAGED. WE MEASURED THE DISTANCE OF THE GAS SERVICE LINE FROM LOCATE MARKS IN TWO LOCATIONS TO DETERMINE IF THE LINE WAS LOCATED WITHIN THE TOLERANCE ZONE OF THE LOCATE MARKS. THE METHOD WE USED TO DETERMINE THIS WAS WE PULLED A TAPE MEASURE FROM THE LOCATE MARK ON THE PARKING LOT CURB NEXT TO THE EXCAVATION AND LOCATE MARK BETWEEN THE EXCAVATION AND THE ROAD. WE PULLED ANOTHER TAPE 90

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.

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