COLUMBIA GAS OF OHIO INC

Incident Narrative

ON MARCH 21, 2015, A COLUMBIA GAS OF OHIO, INC. (""COLUMBIA"" OR ""COMPANY"") SERVICE TECHNICIAN RESPONDED TO AN ODOR-OF-GAS CALL AT 3418 SUNNINGDALE WAY, UPPER ARLINGTON, OHIO. THE TECHNICIAN VERIFIED THAT NO ONE WAS AT HOME, AND TURNED OFF BOTH THE CURB VALVE TO THE ACTIVE SERVICE LINE AND THE METER VALVE. NO LEAKS WERE FOUND IN THE METER SET ASSEMBLY, BUT SUBSURFACE READINGS INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF GAS AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE. WHILE THE TECHNICIAN WAS ON THE PREMISES, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED, FOLLOWED BY A FIRE. THE FIRE CONTINUED AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE. ALTHOUGH THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE GAS-FED, IT CONTINUED AFTER THE COMPANY PHYSICALLY DISCONNECTED THE ACTIVE, PLASTIC SERVICE LINE. IN THE COURSE OF SEARCHING FOR POSSIBLE SOURCES OF THE FIRE, THE COMPANY DISCOVERED A DISCONTINUED CUSTOMER-OWNED STEEL SERVICE LINE, WHICH WAS ACCESSED THROUGH A CURB BOX THAT WAS INCORRECTLY LABELED ""WATER."" THE VALVE ON THAT LINE WAS PARTIALLY OPEN, AND THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT IT WAS INADVERTENTLY OPERATED BY A THIRD PARTY ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE LINE TERMINATED AT AN ELBOW APPROXIMATELY 38 INCHES BELOW THE SURFACE, NEAR THE BLOCK FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE. SUBSEQUENT TESTING SHOWED A CORROSION LEAK APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET FROM THE INCORRECTLY LABELED CURB BOX, AND ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION OF THAT FACILITY REVEALED THAT THE ELBOW AT THE TERMINATION OF THE DISCONTINUED CUSTOMER-OWNED SERVICE LINE WAS UNCAPPED. COLUMBIA'S RECORDS DO NOT SHOW TWO SERVICE LINES AT THIS ADDRESS, AND SUBSEQUENT GAS MAIN CAMERA INSPECTIONS, INCLUDING GAS LINE VALVES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE CONNECTIONS TO THE MAIN, CONDUCTED BY COLUMBIA ON SUNNINGDALE WAY AND THE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING STREETS CONFIRMED THAT THE DISCONTINUED AND CONNECTED GAS SERVICE LINE IS AN ANOMALY BECAUSE ALL OTHER GAS MAIN OPENINGS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE COMPANY'S RECORDS. THE COMPANY IS UNABLE TO RULE OUT AN UNAUTHORIZED INSTALLATION OF FACILITIES BY A THIRD PARTY. AT THIS POINT IN THE INVESTIGATION, COLUMBIA HAS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO FINALIZE ITS INCIDENT REPORT, AND SUBMITS THAT THE INADVERTENT OPERATION OF A GAS VALVE BY A THIRD-PARTY, WHICH WAS ACCESSED THROUGH A CURB BOX THAT WAS INCORRECTLY LABELED ""WATER,"" WHICH ULTIMATELY ALLOWED GAS TO FLOW TO A DISCONTINUED, UNCAPPED SERVICE LINE IS THE LIKELY SERIES OF EVENTS THAT CAUSED THE INCIDENT. THE COMPANY HAS MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO INTERVIEW THE WATER DEPARTMENT AND/OR THE OPERATOR OF ITS SYSTEM IN THAT AREA TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT HAS INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTATION CONCERNING ANY FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT, AND HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN SECURING AN INTERVIEW. THE COMPANY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES AS THEY COMPLETE THEIR INVESTIGATIONS.