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CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

gas_distribution Incident — KALAMAZOO, MI

Incident Information

Report Date—
OperatorCONSUMERS ENERGY CO
Commodity—
Pipeline Typegas_distribution

Location

CityKALAMAZOO
StateMI
CountyKALAMAZOO
Coordinates42.31214, -85.57907

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 OCTOBER 20TH, 2014, UNDERGROUND UTILITY CONTRACTOR DIG IT, INC. WAS INSTALLING TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES WITH DIRECTIONAL BORE UNDER N. PITCHER STREET, KALAMAZOO. DURING THIS WORK, THE CONTRACTOR BORED INTO, AND PUNCTURED, A 6-INCH DIAMETER STEEL HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION GAS MAIN OPERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 190 PSIG. THIS PARTICULAR SEGMENT OF MAIN IS ONE OF THE TWO HIGH-PRESSURE FEEDS SERVING GRAPHICS PACKAGING, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS IN THE AREA. THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE DIG IT DIRECTIONAL BORE CREWS WORKING ON N. PITCHER STREET. ONE CREW WAS INSTALLING FACILITIES IN PARALLEL TO THE EXISTING HIGH PRESSURE MAIN (NORTH-SOUTH), AND A SECOND CREW WAS WORKING ON LATERALS CROSSING N. PITCHER STREET (WEST-EAST). THE DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING A WEST-TO-EAST BORE. THERE WERE FOUND TO BE MULTIPLE MISS DIG STAKING REQUESTS FOR THE AREA. MISS DIG TICKETS B42820566 AND B4280561 WERE IDENTIFIED FOR STAKING OF THE EAST SIDE OF N. PITCHER STREET, STARTING AT THE INTERSECTION WITH MOSEL AVENUE AND HEADING SOUTH FOR 2,500 FEET. THIS AREA INCLUDES THE DAMAGE LOCATION AND APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET TO THE NORTH OF DAMAGE. TWO ADDITIONAL MISS DIG TICKETS (B42820548 AND B42820550) WERE IDENTIFIED FOR STAKING BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD FROM 1819 N. PITCHER STREET TO THE NORTH, FOR APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET. THIS AREA IS IMMEDIATELY TO THE SOUTH OF THE DAMAGE LOCATION. WHILE STAKING WAS EVIDENT BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE DAMAGE LOCATION, THE MARKINGS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE DAMAGE (WITHIN 5 FEET) WERE APPARENTLY NOT SUFFICIENT TO ALERT THE CREW OF THE GAS MAIN'S PRESENCE. THE DAMAGE LOCATION IS IN A RELATIVELY UNCONGESTED COMMERCIAL AREA. THIS AREA WAS FOUND TO BE A LOCATION WHERE TRAFFIC COULD BE DIVERTED, AND THE DAMAGE LOCATION SECURED, SUCH THAT GAS COULD BE VENTED SAFELY WHILE A PLAN FOR ISOLATION OF THE SEGMENT WAS DEVELOPED. GAS VENTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 29 HOURS WHILE CREWS WORKED MULTIPLE OPTIONS FOR ISOLATING THE DAMAGED SEGMENT, MINIMIZING INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS IN THE AREA.

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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