Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GD incident on 2019-03-09 — PA
Operator
Peoples Natural Gas Company Llc
Cause
Natural Force Damage
Commodity
Natural Gas
Program
GD
Damage and Injuries
0 fatalities
0 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$4,618
Incident datetime
2019-03-09 07:27
Report number
Location
PA, ALLEGHENY
Narrative
On 03/09/2019 at approximately 07:27, the inlet pipe to the western avenue metering site experienced a separation of the 6 inch inlet piping. Due to long term, heavy rains that occurred over a period of several days prior to this incident, the saturated soil created a heavy overburden on the inlet piping, and that strain caused the steel portion of that piping to separate at the coupler. The first responders on site determined to shut the system down for safety, make repairs and restore service. Permanent repairs renewed that coupled pipe, replacing it with all welded steel piping. Nrc follow up questions: given that this was a relatively new installation (2018), is it possible there were some workmanship issues that may have contributed to the failure? Was the piping installed in a bind? How far did it separate when it pulled apart? Were the construction specifications adhered to? Peoples follow up answers: an internal investigation was conducted after this incident occurred and no poor workmanship issues were found that contributed to this incident, with all construction specifications being adhered to. At the time that this incident occurred, the piping had separated approximately 3 inches and showed no signs of misalignment and was still in line with the inlet riser it had separated from, indicating that the pipe was not installed in a bind. The nuts on the coupling bolts were found in the position of having been tightened well into the final torqued tightened phase. All indications point to the fact that several days of heavy rains was the primary factor that initiated this incident.
Detailed record list
Occurred At
2019-03-09 07:27:00
Year
2019
Report Received Date
2020-08-07 00:00:00
Iyear
2019.0
Report Number
20200073.0
Supplemental Number
34269.0
Report Type
Supplemental Final
Operator Id
15350
Name
Peoples Natural Gas Company Llc
Operator Street Address
375 North Shore Drive Suite 600
Operator City Name
Pittsburgh
Operator State Abbreviation
PA
Operator Postal Code
15212
Local Datetime
2019-03-09 07:27:00
Location Street Address
Western Avenue
Location City Name
Moon Township
Location County Name
Allegheny
Location State Abbreviation
PA
Location Postal Code
15108
Location Latitude
40.548839
Location Longitude
-80.245529
Nrc Rpt Datetime
2019-03-09 11:38:00
Nrc Rpt Num
1239662
Commodity Released Type
Natural Gas
Unintentional Release
113.0
Fatality Ind
No
Fatal
0
Injury Ind
No
Injure
0
Ignite Ind
No
Explode Ind
No
Num Pub Evacuated
0.0
Incident Identified Datetime
2019-03-09 07:27:00
On Site Datetime
2019-03-09 08:07:00
Federal
No
Location Type
Utility Right-Of-Way / Easement
Incident Area Type
Aboveground
Incident Area Subtype
Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance (E.g. Value Or Regulator Station, Outdoor Meter Set)
Crossing
No
Pipe Facility Type
Privately Owned
System Part Involved
District Regulator/metering Station
Installation Year
2018.0
Material Involved
Steel
Steel Seam Type
Other
Steel Seam Type Details
Erw
Wt Steel
0.28
Release Type
Leak
Leak Type
Connection Failure
Class Location Type
Class 2 Location
Est Cost Oper Paid
0.0
Est Cost Prop Damage
4618.0
Est Cost Emergency
63388.0
Est Cost Other
0.0
Est Cost Unintentional Release
459.0
Prpty
68465.0
Commercial Affected
0.0
Industrial Affected
0.0
Residences Affected
980.0
Accident Psig
33.0
Normal Psig
33.0
Mop Psig
40.0
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Scada In Place Ind
No
Accident Identifier
Notification From Public
Investigation Status
No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the incident
Employee Drug Test Ind
No
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Natural Force Damage
Cause Details
Heavy Rains/floods
Natural Force Type
Heavy Rains/floods
Heavy Rains Subtype
Other
Nf Other Details
,,,,,several Days Of Heavy Rains Prior To The Incident, Saturated The Soil, Causing An Over Burden On The Inlet Pipe. See Part H.,,,,,,,,,,
Nf Extreme Weather Ind
No
Preparer Name
D***** P* K****
Preparer Title
Manager Compliance Process
Preparer Email
D***********@p**********.com
Preparer Telephone
724-444-3251
Authorizer Name
J***** A* G********
Authorizer Title
President Of Peoples
Authorizer Telephone
412-208-5244
Authorizer Email
J*****************@p**********.com
Narrative
On 03/09/2019 at approximately 07:27, the inlet pipe to the western avenue metering site experienced a separation of the 6 inch inlet piping. Due to long term, heavy rains that occurred over a period of several days prior to this incident, the saturated soil created a heavy overburden on the inlet piping, and that strain caused the steel portion of that piping to separate at the coupler. The first responders on site determined to shut the system down for safety, make repairs and restore service. Permanent repairs renewed that coupled pipe, replacing it with all welded steel piping. Nrc follow up questions: given that this was a relatively new installation (2018), is it possible there were some workmanship issues that may have contributed to the failure? Was the piping installed in a bind? How far did it separate when it pulled apart? Were the construction specifications adhered to? Peoples follow up answers: an internal investigation was conducted after this incident occurred and no poor workmanship issues were found that contributed to this incident, with all construction specifications being adhered to. At the time that this incident occurred, the piping had separated approximately 3 inches and showed no signs of misalignment and was still in line with the inlet riser it had separated from, indicating that the pipe was not installed in a bind. The nuts on the coupling bolts were found in the position of having been tightened well into the final torqued tightened phase. All indications point to the fact that several days of heavy rains was the primary factor that initiated this incident.
| Occurred At | 2019-03-09 07:27:00 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2019 |
| Report Received Date | 2020-08-07 00:00:00 |
| Iyear | 2019.0 |
| Report Number | 20200073.0 |
| Supplemental Number | 34269.0 |
| Report Type | Supplemental Final |
| Operator Id | 15350 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | Peoples Natural Gas Company Llc |
| Operator Street Address | 375 North Shore Drive Suite 600 |
| Operator City Name | Pittsburgh |
| Operator State Abbreviation | PA |
| Operator Postal Code | 15212 |
| Local Datetime | 2019-03-09 07:27:00 |
| Location Street Address | Western Avenue |
| Location City Name | Moon Township |
| Location County Name | Allegheny |
| Location State Abbreviation | PA |
| Location Postal Code | 15108 |
| Location Latitude | 40.548839 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -80.245529 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Nrc Rpt Datetime | 2019-03-09 11:38:00 |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1239662 NRC Report How to search |
| Commodity Released Type | Natural Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 113.0 |
| Fatality Ind | No |
| Fatal | 0 |
| Injury Ind | No |
| Injure | 0 |
| Ignite Ind | No |
| Explode Ind | No |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 0.0 |
| Incident Identified Datetime | 2019-03-09 07:27:00 |
| On Site Datetime | 2019-03-09 08:07:00 |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Utility Right-Of-Way / Easement |
| Incident Area Type | Aboveground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Typical Aboveground Facility Piping Or Appurtenance (E.g. Value Or Regulator Station, Outdoor Meter Set) |
| Crossing | No |
| Pipe Facility Type | Privately Owned |
| System Part Involved | District Regulator/metering Station |
| Installation Year | 2018.0 |
| Material Involved | Steel |
| Steel Seam Type | Other |
| Steel Seam Type Details | Erw |
| Wt Steel | 0.28 |
| Release Type | Leak |
| Leak Type | Connection Failure |
| Class Location Type | Class 2 Location |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 0.0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 4618.0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 63388.0 |
| Est Cost Other | 0.0 |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 459.0 |
| Prpty | 68465.0 |
| Commercial Affected | 0.0 |
| Industrial Affected | 0.0 |
| Residences Affected | 980.0 |
| Accident Psig | 33.0 |
| Normal Psig | 33.0 |
| Mop Psig | 40.0 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Scada In Place Ind | No |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Public |
| Investigation Status | No, the facility was not monitored by a controller(s) at the time of the incident |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | No |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Natural Force Damage |
| Cause Details | Heavy Rains/floods |
| Natural Force Type | Heavy Rains/floods |
| Heavy Rains Subtype | Other |
| Nf Other Details | ,,,,,several Days Of Heavy Rains Prior To The Incident, Saturated The Soil, Causing An Over Burden On The Inlet Pipe. See Part H.,,,,,,,,,, |
| Nf Extreme Weather Ind | No |
| Preparer Name | D***** P* K**** |
| Preparer Title | Manager Compliance Process |
| Preparer Email | D***********@p**********.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 724-444-3251 |
| Authorizer Name | J***** A* G******** |
| Authorizer Title | President Of Peoples |
| Authorizer Telephone | 412-208-5244 |
| Authorizer Email | J*****************@p**********.com |
| Narrative | On 03/09/2019 at approximately 07:27, the inlet pipe to the western avenue metering site experienced a separation of the 6 inch inlet piping. Due to long term, heavy rains that occurred over a period of several days prior to this incident, the saturated soil created a heavy overburden on the inlet piping, and that strain caused the steel portion of that piping to separate at the coupler. The first responders on site determined to shut the system down for safety, make repairs and restore service. Permanent repairs renewed that coupled pipe, replacing it with all welded steel piping. Nrc follow up questions: given that this was a relatively new installation (2018), is it possible there were some workmanship issues that may have contributed to the failure? Was the piping installed in a bind? How far did it separate when it pulled apart? Were the construction specifications adhered to? Peoples follow up answers: an internal investigation was conducted after this incident occurred and no poor workmanship issues were found that contributed to this incident, with all construction specifications being adhered to. At the time that this incident occurred, the piping had separated approximately 3 inches and showed no signs of misalignment and was still in line with the inlet riser it had separated from, indicating that the pipe was not installed in a bind. The nuts on the coupling bolts were found in the position of having been tightened well into the final torqued tightened phase. All indications point to the fact that several days of heavy rains was the primary factor that initiated this incident. |
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