COLUMBIA GAS OF MASSACHUSETTS
gas_distribution Incident — CANTON, MA — February 22, 2015
Incident Information
| Incident Date | February 22, 2015 |
| Operator | COLUMBIA GAS OF MASSACHUSETTS |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | CANTON |
| State | MA |
| County | NORFOLK |
| Coordinates | 42.18851, -71.15204 |
Cause
| Cause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
| Subcause | OTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $4,500 |
| Emergency Response | $4,098 |
| Other Costs | $1,000,000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
NATURAL GAS RELEASED FROM A METER SET THAT WAS BROKEN BECAUSE A THIRD PARTY BURIED IT WITH SNOW WHILE CLEARING SNOW OFF OF A ROOF. THE RELEASE OF GAS RESULTED IN AN EXPLOSION/FIRE THAT CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPERTY. PART C SUBPART 4 & 2A ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SERVICE LINE. THE NON-OPERATOR PROPERTY DAMAGE AND OTHER COSTS WERE OBTAINED FROM THE NATIONAL FIRE INVESTIGATION REPORT SYSTEM (NFIRS) REPORT. THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS WHICH RESULTED IN A DELAYED NRC CALL BEING MADE. THE COMPANY HAS SINCE IMPLEMENTED ANNUAL TRAINING TO PROVIDE CONTINUOUS EDUCATION ON THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AT BOTH A STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
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.