About Us
Bozeman Community Relations
Mel Kotur
(406) 582-4637, 8am - 5pm, M-F
Bozeman Consultant -
Community Relations
Heather Bellamy
(406) 586-3447 or (406) 570-2092
Bozeman Recovery Office
308 E. Main Street
(406) 586-3447
Customer Service
(888) 467-2669, 7am - 6pm, M-F
Gas Emergencies
(888) 467-2427, 24/7
|
Questions & Answers
Throughout this ordeal, we have heard many questions from the residents and businesses of Bozeman.
While we try to respond to everyone’s question in person, here are answers to some of the most
common questions we have received.
- What is the company’s response to the investigation conducted by the Bozeman Fire and Police Departments and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)?
- Who is conducting the ongoing investigation into the cause of the explosion?
- How old is the gas system in Bozeman?
- Was this leak the result of old pipes?
- If age is not a concern, why are you going to replace pipes that are currently out of service?
- Were there any calls of gas odor from this location prior to the incident?
- Did a 2007 incident involving a construction crew that hit the gas main about a block from the explosion site have anything to do with this leak?
- Should residents be concerned about the safety and integrity of the system – could other incidents like this occur?
- Are leaks a common occurrence?
- What is cathodic protection?
- What about the valves on the system, is the company going to replace or add more valves?
- Why did it take 16 hours to shut off the natural gas at the explosion site?
- Why didn’t you shut off gas at the valve stations to stop the flow of natural gas after the explosion?
- There was some confusion at the time of the explosion about the location of gas mains and services? How detailed are your maps?
- What does natural gas smell like?
- What should I do if I smell natural gas? What if I'm not sure if it's natural gas or something else?
- How do I submit a claim to NorthWestern Energy for damages related to this incident?
- Why doesn’t NorthWestern just pay up front for the demolition and clean up costs at the site?
- Is NorthWestern assisting with the cleanup of the site?
- Are all gas leaks considered dangerous? How many gas leaks do you typically find during annual leak inspection surveys?
Q – What is the company’s response to the investigation conducted by the Bozeman Fire and Police Departments and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)?A – Important to note that these are initial findings. There is still much investigative work that will be done to determine the cause of the explosion and the chain of events that led to this explosion. We are a responsible operator and want to understand what happened so that we can take whatever corrective action is appropriate.
We will communicate what we learn when our investigation is completely finished.
Q – Who is conducting the ongoing investigation into the cause of the explosion?A – The investigation is being conducted by NorthWestern Energy as well as representatives of the interested parties including insurance companies and property owners. We are working with the other interested parties to determine the appropriate protocol. The results will be shared with regulatory authorities including the Montana Public Service Commission and the Department of Transportation. Results will also be shared with the public at that time.
Q – How old is the gas system in Bozeman?A – The gas system in downtown Bozeman was installed in 1931 by MDU. We believe Montana Power purchased it in the mid-1950s. Natural gas systems elsewhere in the city would date to around the time that the neighborhood or subdivision was built. It is not unusual to have pipe of this age in use in the United States.
Q – Was this leak the result of old pipes?A – The cause of the separation has not been determined. Age, by itself, is not cause for concern. The company has a cathodic protection program in place, which mitigates corrosion on the steel pipes. In fact, so far we have found no visible evidence of corrosion on the NorthWestern Energy pipes that have been exposed at the site. NorthWestern Energy plans to do metallurgical testing to further evaluate condition of the service line.
Q – If age is not a concern, why are you going to replace pipes that are currently out of service?A – It is our standard procedure to accelerate normal replacement cycles when given the opportunity. Therefore, we are replacing the service lines that are currently out of service with new plastic pipe. The steel main is not being replaced. Doing the system integrity work while the lines are already exposed and out of service means that we do not have to inconvenience business owners again at a later date.
Q – Were there any calls of gas odor from this location prior to the incident?A – Our records do not show any gas odor calls being reported from this location within 48-hours leading up to the incident.
Q – Did a 2007 incident involving a construction crew that hit the gas main about a block from the explosion site have anything to do with this leak?A – The line was repaired at the time of the incident. We do not believe that this incident had anything to do with the Bozeman explosion. Our experts are aware of it.
Q – Should residents be concerned about the safety and integrity of the system – could other incidents like this occur?A – Residents should not be concerned about the safety and integrity of our natural gas system. We have a cathodic protection program in place to prevent corrosion and we routinely conduct leak surveys to find and fix potential leaks before there is a problem. That being said, leaks can and do occur which is why people need to know what to do if they smell natural gas – leave the area immediately and call 911 or NorthWestern Energy from a safe location.
Q – Are leaks a common occurrence?A – No. Leaks are not common, but they can and do occur. Third-party damage (usually the result of construction activity) is the most common cause of leaks on any underground utility system. Anyone who will be digging should call 811 to have underground utility lines located prior to doing any work.
Q – What is cathodic protection?A – Cathodic protection is an electrochemical method to control the corrosion of metal. It involves the use of electrically charged anodes that are connected to a DC power source. When the current is applied to the pipe, the electrochemical reaction disrupts and prevents the corrosion process from occurring.
Q – What about the valves on the system, is the company going to replace or add more valves?A – There are ten zones in the Bozeman area that are maintained through the use of valves. It is possible to add additional valves, which would increase the number of zones that would have fewer customers within each zone. However, there are pros and cons associated with additional valve stations including location, access, visual and property impacts, and customer rate impacts to name a few.
We will discuss this issue with City officials and MPSC at the appropriate time.
Q – Why did it take 16 hours to shut off the natural gas at the explosion site?A – NorthWestern Energy employees at the scene worked with emergency responders to determine the appropriate strategy to shut off natural gas at the explosion site. It was determined that shutting down the zone and disrupting service to thousands of natural gas customers was not needed. Crews worked to shut off gas to the affected area by installing valves and stopper fittings on either side of the main.
A third valve was needed after crews found that the gas wasn’t depressurizing as expected. In the chaos of the event, crews overlooked the presence of a connector between two gas mains in the area. While initially NorthWestern Energy spokespeople said the map didn’t show the connector, it actually was indicated on the map; however, it was overlooked in the initial response.
This misread of the map resulted in the installation of a third valve, which took another four hours to install.
Q – Why didn’t you shut off gas at the valve stations to stop the flow of natural gas after the explosion?A – We could have shut off service to this particular zone shortly after the explosion and would have done so immediately if it would have been necessary to save lives or property. However, we determined in conversations with fire officials at the time that the fire was well contained and had we shut off the area – we would have disrupted gas service to hundreds if not thousands of customers during an extreme cold spell and it would have taken days to re-light the services.
Smaller zones would obviously have resulted in fewer customer disruptions, but we still would have been faced with the same decision and probably would have come to the same conclusion to install stopper fittings on the main at the site.
Q – There was some confusion at the time of the explosion about the location of gas mains and services? How detailed are your maps?A – We maintain very detailed maps and are even more precise today thanks to Global Positioning System and Global Information System applications. The confusion was the result of a dynamic situation in the hours following the explosion. While initially NorthWestern Energy spokespeople said the map didn’t show the connector between two gas mains, it is indicated on the map; however, personnel overlooked it at the time of the incident.
Q – What does natural gas smell like?A – The odor of natural gas is called Mercaptan. It is an odorant that is a safety feature that is added to natural gas since natural gas is odorless. The distinctive smell is similar to rotten eggs.
Q – What should I do if I smell natural gas? What if I'm not sure if it's natural gas or something else?A – Leave the area immediately (don’t turn on or off light switches, use the telephone or anything that may cause a spark) and call 911 or NorthWestern Energy’s Gas Emergency number from a safe location. Our 24-hour Gas Emergency number is (888) 467-2427. We will respond immediately. When in doubt – call anyway. There is no charge to you for our response.
Q – How do I submit a claim to NorthWestern Energy for damages related to this incident?A – NorthWestern Energy has not completed its investigation and has not determined whether it is liable for damages arising from the incident. In the interim, NorthWestern has a standard claims procedure used for this and all incidents. People having a claim should send a letter explaining the details of their claim to NorthWestern Energy, 40 E. Broadway, Butte, MT 59701 Attention: Claims Department.
Q – Why doesn’t NorthWestern just pay up front for the demolition and clean up costs at the site?A – NorthWestern understands the frustration associated with the pace of the investigation, but until liability has been determined, the cleanup and demolition of the accident site is the responsibility of the business owners and their insurance carriers.
Q – Is NorthWestern assisting with the cleanup of the site?A – The debris is the property of the landowners, who are working with their insurance carriers to determine what is salvageable and what must be removed. NorthWestern is working with the City to help bridge the gap between insurance payments and immediate cleanup costs.
Q – Are all gas leaks considered dangerous? How many gas leaks do you typically find during annual leak inspection surveys?A – All leaks identified through surveying are classified according to the degree of severity using the following DOT guidelines:
Grade 1 – All leaks which constitute a major hazard to life and property either due to proximity to normally occupied buildings, volume of gas leakage, or entrance into the sewage system. These leaks require immediate attention and are regarded as an emergency. Repair work should continue until the hazard is eliminated. (Example: Broken main or service line.)
Grade 2 – All leaks which are not hazardous at the time of detection but which justify scheduled repair based on potential future hazard. These leaks should be monitored on a 60-90 day basis. Grade 2 below ground leaks will be repaired before frost occurs. (Example: Leak at main, localized to a fitting or coupling.)
Grade 3 – All other leaks – A small amount of gas is being lost and there is no hazard involved. These leaks should be monitored on a semi-annual basis until repaired. (Example: Small leak at a meter set fitting, outside and no possible accumulation of gas foreseen.)
In 2008, NorthWestern Energy surveyed more than 2,000 miles of pipeline and approximately 45,000 services or about 25% of all natural gas services in Montana. The company found and repaired approximately 400 gas leaks of which 16 were considered Class 1, 30 were Class 2 and 351 were Class 3.
|