PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON MARCH 13, 2016 AT 1716 HOURS, PG&E'S GAS CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED OF A SINKHOLE AT RHEEM BLVD AND CENTER ST, IN MORAGA. THE SINKHOLE CAUSED A TRAFFIC LIGHT TO FALL, WHICH SEVERED THE 4"" STEEL DISTRIBUTION MAIN AND RESULTED IN AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS. PG&E'S GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED ON SITE AT 1835 HOURS. PG&E CREWS STOPPED THE FLOW OF GAS ON 3/14/16 AT 0105 HOURS BY SHUTTING OFF 7 VALVES. APPROXIMATELY 2603 CUSTOMERS WERE SHUT-IN IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SITUATION SAFE. PG&E CREWS CUT AND CAPPED THE DAMAGED MAIN BY 0930 ON 3/14/16. THE AREA IS A DUAL FEED ALLOWING CREWS TO BEGIN PREPARATION TO RE-LIGHT CUSTOMERS. WITHIN 36 HOURS OF THE INCIDENT, 90% OF THE SERVICES WERE RESTORED. ADDITIONALLY, PG&E BROUGHT IN CNG TRAILERS TO RESTORE SERVICE TO LOCAL BUSINESSES. A BYPASS WAS INSTALLED TO REMOVE THE CNG TRAILER AND CONTINUOUSLY PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE LOCAL BUSINESSES. REPAIRS TO THE MAIN ARE ON-GOING AND WILL BE COMPLETE ONCE THE TOWN OF MORAGA PERFORMS THEIR STORM DRAIN WORK WITHIN THE SINK HOLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, FATALITIES OR IGNITION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT. POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MEDIA (ABC, KRON, CBS) WERE REPORTED ON SITE. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE CPUC DUE TO THE UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS AND MEDIA PRESENCE. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT ON 3/14/16 ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT COSTS WOULD EXCEED $50,000.