Underground Construction - October 2020 - 7

NEWSLINE LATEST INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
Three Contractors Dead After
Being Trapped in a Manhole
Three contractors working on a storm sewer
project in Columbia City, Ind., died after being
trapped in a manhole, officials said.
Mayor Ryan Daniel of Columbia City said in a
statement that when first responders arrived at the
scene, three people were trapped in a 20-footdeep sewer manhole. About five feet of water was
present in the manhole, he said.
Medical personnel immediately began
performing life-saving procedures, but all three
victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
NBC affiliate WPTA-TV reported that a coroner
determined they were overcome by fumes and
drowned. It identified the men as Jason Ball, 48, his
son Bronson Ball, 21, and Douglas Kramer, 43.
It was the first day of work by the contractors
who were hired by the city for a storm sewer
project, officials said.
Fort Wayne Fire Dept. spokesperson Adam
O'Connor said their Technical Rescue Team was
called to assist crews in Columbia City. Their deaths
were ruled an accident, he said.

Gas Pipeline Explodes
Near Oklahoma City
A September natural gas pipeline explosion in
Piedmont, Okla., resulted in a fire that was visible
for miles around an area north of Oklahoma City,
authorities said. The incident forced the evacuation
of nearby residents, but no injuries were reported.
Piedmont Fire Chief Andy Logan said the
explosion was the result of a rupture in a 12-inch,
high-pressure underground line. The blast left a hole
roughly 30 feet long and 20 feet wide.
Local news affiliates reported the pipeline
belonged to DCP Midstream and quoted a spokesman for the company as saying the fire from the
explosion burned for about 30 minutes before the
valve was shut off.

Michels Selected by
TC Energy to Build
U.S. Keystone XL Facilities
Michels Corporation, which earlier announced
it was selected for work on a Canadian portion
of the Keystone XL Pipeline, said it also has been
awarded a contract from TC Energy to construct
U.S. facilities for the project.
Michels said it will be responsible for the
construction of eight pump stations in Montana,
South Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas. Construction
started in late June and is on schedule for
completion in the first quarter of 2021.

During peak construction, Michels
Corporation will employ more than 350 people
on the facilities projects.

Interior Requests Expedited
Environmental Reviews for
Energy Projects
The U.S., Department of the Interior has asked the
Trump Administration to expedite environmental
reviews for several energy projects, including LNG
(Liquid Natural Gas) facilities and pipelines, as part
of the administration's COVID-19 recovery plan.
The plan to speed up project approvals comes
after President Donald Trump in June ordered the

Interior Department and other agencies to scale
back environmental reviews under special powers
he has during the coronavirus emergency.
More than 60 projects targeted for expedited environmental reviews were detailed in an attachment
to a July 15 letter from Assistant Interior Secretary
Katherine MacGregor to White House economic
advisor Larry Kudlow.
The letter did not specify how the review process
would be hastened. It says the specified energy,
environmental and natural resource projects "are
within the authority of the Secretary of the Interior
to perform or advance."

Investigation into Baltimore Explosion Finds Gas Equipment
Not to Blame
Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) said its investigation into a
recent gas explosion that killed two people and injured seven
others found that the company's pipes and equipment were not
responsible for the blast.
"BGE has found that all of its equipment-gas mains, gas service pipes and gas meters, as well as
electric equipment-has been operating safely and was not the cause of the natural gas explosion that
occurred Aug. 10," the company said in a press release.
The utility said investigators were also examining customer-owned gas piping and appliances at the
scene. The investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing, and BGE said it will continue to
provide assistance to federal, state and city investigators.
As part of those efforts, BGE analyzed data from the gas and electric smart meters serving the
properties involved in the explosion and has provided that data to the Baltimore City Fire Department and other investigators.
"The data from one gas meter was found to be indicative of some type of issue beyond the
BGE meter on customer-owned gas equipment and is currently being analyzed by investigators,"
the company said.
A portion of the gas main in the vicinity of the explosion and 38 gas service pipes for properties
along in that portion of the main on Baltimore's Labyrinth Road were isolated from the area gas
system and taken out of service after the explosion as a safety precaution while emergency rescue
operations were underway, BGE said.
BGE said its detailed testing found that no system leaks were involved in the blast. A day after the
incident, the gas main and services successfully passed a re-pressurization test required to be placed
back in service. Gas service pipes serving properties involved in the explosion also were pressure
tested and were found to successfully hold pressure with no leaks, BGE said.
"The 1960s installation age and protected steel materials of the medium-pressure gas mains and
service pipes serving the neighborhood where Labyrinth Road is located are very safe and highly
reliable with low leak rates," BGE said.
"While BGE is undertaking a gas system modernization effort to replace aging, outmoded
equipment throughout central Maryland, it is focused primarily on removal of low-pressure cast iron,
unprotected steel and copper piping that make up less than 20 percent of the gas system but account
for 70 percent of the leaks," BGE said. "These materials are not used in the neighborhood where
Labyrinth Road is located.
BGE said it has invested more than $560 million since 2014 in its STRIDE accelerated gas system
modernization program and replaced 260 miles of gas main and 64,000 gas service pipes and risers
throughout central Maryland. *
UCONonline.com | OCTOBER 2020

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Underground Construction - October 2020

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