CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

ON JULY 20, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:11 HOURS CONSUMERS ENERGY RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE DAMAGE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF N. GRAND AVENUE & SAGINAW STREET, LANSING (INGHAM COUNTY) MICHIGAN. THE GAS DISTRIBUTION CREW ARRIVE ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 11:34 HOURS AND A GAS SERVICE WORKER (GSW) ARRIVED ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 11:43 HOURS. GAS DISTRIBUTION CREW CONFIRMED A GAS CONSTRUCTION (FIRST PARTY) EMPLOYEE DAMAGED A 6-INCH PLASTIC MEDIUM PRESSURE PIPELINE WHILE INSTALLING SHORING EQUIPMENT TO PERFORM TIE-IN WORK. THE GSW BEGAN MONITORING THE AREA FOR GAS MIGRATION AND GAS SERVICE EMPLOYEE(S) REMAINED ONSITE AND MONITORED THE AREA UNTIL THE GAS WAS CONTAINED. POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL WERE ONSITE AND EVACUATED ONE COMMERCIAL BUILDING BEFORE THE CREW ARRIVED. IT IS UNKNOWN THE NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS WITHIN THE BUILDING AT THE TIME IT WAS EVACUATED. POLICE AND FIRE ALSO ASSISTED CONSUMERS ENERGY EMPLOYEES WITH ROAD CLOSURES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLE TRAFFIC. NO FATALITIES OR INJURIES OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE AND SUBSEQUENT NATURAL GAS RELEASE. THE DISTRIBUTION CREW DEVELOPED A PLAN TO ISOLATE AND ARREST THE BLOWING GAS. BECAUSE THE LOCATION HAD A FOUR-WAY BACK-FEED TO THE DAMAGE LOCATION, EXCAVATION AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WAS REQUIRED. TWO PLASTIC PIPELINES WERE SQUEEZED, AND EXISTING CONTROL FITTINGS WERE UTILIZED AT TWO ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS TO STOP THE GAS FROM BLOWING. BECAUSE THE PIPELINE DEPTH WAS GREATER THAN 6-FEET, SHORING EQUIPMENT WAS NEEDED TO SAFELY ACCESS THE PIPELINE TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. THE DAMAGE SEGMENT WAS CUT OUT AND REPLACED WITH 3-FOOT OF 6-INCH PLASTIC PIPELINE. THE PIPELINE WAS PURGED, AND NORMAL OPERATIONS RESUMED ON JULY 21, 2023, AT 04:20 HOURS.