Arizona pipeline safety regulators found mapping issues prevented more frequent checks that may have detected Driscopipe 8000 gas line leaks before two Valley incidents in 2021.
In one case there was an explosion.
In August 2021, four men were seriously injured during a natural gas explosion at a Chandler shopping plaza.
“They'll always be scarred for the rest of their life, but they are doing the best they can to live life,” said Tom Ryan, an attorney for two of the victims, Dillon and Andrew Ryan.
Two weeks later, on September 9, 2021, another gas leak, in Scottsdale, forced neighbors to be evacuated for hours.
“If you have those issues in two separate cities you know you're going to have some issues systemwide, so someone needs to do something now,” Sandra Kennedy, a former Arizona Corporation Commissioner who was outspoken about the need for a thorough investigation and increased gas line safety measures.
Nearly two years later, two reports on the incidents have been released by the ACC’s Pipeline Safety Office.
According to the reports, both leaks involved the same kind of pipe, Driscopipe 8000. This type of pipe can prematurely degrade, crack, and leak in the extreme Arizona heat. Lab reports confirmed thermal oxidation of both leaky pipes. Both incidents also involved service stub pipes.
These are sections that dead-end because they are not hooked up to a customer, Southwest Gas has said stubs are at higher risk for leaks.
Related: SW Gas is finding active Driscopipe 8000 lines with premature degradation
According to the reports, Southwest Gas should have done leak detection surveys four times a year on the Driscopipe 8000 stubs in Chandler and Scottsdale. The company had stepped up its efforts to preemptively find leaks and replace unused stubs and services after a 2014 Gilbert explosion.
But the pipes in both 2021 incidents were not part of those stepped-up inspections because Southwest Gas had not properly mapped their locations many years ago, according to the ACC reports.
Both reports found the same probable non-compliance item related to record-keeping lapses.
In Chandler, building records and maps failed to properly identify the material installed as the 8000 pipe. It was listed as 8100 pipe, even though the pipe in the ground was black and 8100 pipe is bright yellow.
In Scottsdale, the report said, maps failed to include the one-inch service stub at the address of the leak.
“Therein lies the problem - they have no idea where all of this is,” Ryan said.
Ryan encourages the replacement of all 10,000 miles of Driscopipe 8000 in the ground in Arizona.
Related: Report shows SW Gas efforts with problematic natural gas pipe
“There are only two things they can do: Remove it or abandon it,” Ryan said. “That’s the only way they can protect Arizona.
Southwest Gas will have an opportunity to make a formal response to the pipeline safety investigative findings. In prior, similar cases, corporation commission officials and utilities have agreed to a proposed settlement involving fines and/or safety changes. Corporation commissioners get the final vote on an outcome.
“They have the option to tell them exactly what to do to fix this problem the question is will they?” Kennedy said. “I don't see where the commission will come down with a heavy hand.”
Southwest Gas sent ABC15 the following statement about the release of the investigative gas leak reports:
"Southwest Gas is in receipt of the recent Notice of Filing Investigation reports and is in the process of reviewing and responding to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).
As we have previously communicated with the ACC, safety is our top priority.
Following the incidents, the Company implemented a number of new corrective actions to ensure the safety of the natural gas system in the state, including, increased leak surveys, abandoning inactive services, and a comprehensive review of the Company’s construction and mapping records.
The Company is committed to working with the ACC on our efforts to ensure the safety of the natural gas distribution system in Arizona."
