ATLANTA GAS LIGHT CO

Incident Narrative

A THIRD-PARTY PARTY EXCAVATOR (CABLE EAST) STRUCK AND DAMAGED AN ATLANTA GAS LIGHT COMPANY (AGLC) 4-INCH PLASTIC GAS MAIN WHILE DIRECTIONALLY BORING TO INSTALL TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONDUIT LINES NEAR 2049 SYLVAN ROAD SW, ATLANTA. ESCAPING GAS FROM THE DAMAGE WAS IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN IGNITION SOURCE AND A SUBSEQUENT FIRE OCCURRED AT THE STREET RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE. AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE AS WELL AS A TRACTOR AND THE DIRECTIONAL BORING RIG WERE DAMAGED IN THE FIRE; THERE WAS ALSO HEAT DAMAGE TO A LARGE COMMERCIAL SIGN AND A DIESEL PUMP AT A NEARBY CHEVRON GASOLINE STATION. UPON ARRIVAL, AGLC PERSONNEL SECURED THE AREA AND MONITORED THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR GAS. GAS WAS SHUT-OFF TO THE DAMAGED AREA AT 12:06 PM BY OPERATING TWO (2) VALVES AND PERFORMING ONE (1) SQUEEZE OFF OPERATION. A LOCATE REQUEST WAS MADE ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2023, BY CABLE EAST (EXCAVATOR) TO ""LOCATE THE INTERSECTION OF SR 166 RAMPS EAST BOUND OFF & ON AND SYLVAN RD SW 200' IN ALL DIRECTION ENTIRE ROW"". AGLC FACILITIES WERE MARKED BY STAKE CENTER LOCATING TO SATISFY THIS REQUEST ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2023, AT 10:19 AM. INVESTIGATION OF THE SITE REVEALED THAT THE LOCATE MARKS WERE NOT ACCURATE AT THE POINT OF DAMAGE; THE NEAREST LOCATE MARK TO WHERE THE 4-INCH PLASTIC MAIN WAS DAMAGED WAS APPROXIMATELY SEVEN (7) FEET AWAY. BECAUSE THE EXCAVATOR DID NOT VERIFY THE LOCATION OF AGLC FACILITIES BY POT HOLING AND INSTEAD BLINDLY CROSSED THE MARKS ON THE GROUND WHICH RAN PARALLEL TO THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE GAS MAIN, THE GAS MAIN WAS DAMAGED. HAD THE EXCAVATOR POTHOLED, IT WOULD HAVE DETERMINED THE LOCATION OF THE MAIN WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE MARKS ON THE GROUND AT THE POINT OF CROSSING AND TAKEN STEPS TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE GAS MAIN. ADDITIONAL NRC REPORT NUMBER 1379789 WAS CREATED FOR THE SAME EVENT AFTER A SUPPLEMENTAL CALL WAS PLACED WITH THE NRC TO UPDATE THE INITIAL TELEPHONIC NOTICE.