(WSB photo, Monday)
One day after a construction crew broke a 4-inch gas line at California/Lander, closing the street and evacuating nearby businesses for five-plus hours (WSB coverage here), an investigation is under way. We followed up today with Puget Sound Energy, which provides natural-gas service in our area. We asked, first, why it took so long to shut off the gas after Monday’s break. PSE spokesperson Jarrett Tomalin said, “When our crews are called to an incident, each one may have its own unique factors to obtain shutdown. Typically, we’ll have our mapping team determine the best option for shutting down the gas leak to ensure safety, while also ensuring the fewest number of customers are impacted. The shutdown process in yesterday’s incident was complex, as it required other utilities to cut power, and heavy equipment to excavate the shutdown location.” Our other question: Who’s investigating? Tomalin’s reply: “This incident will be investigated by PSE, the locating service, and the contractor responsible for the damage to PSE’s gas line, with the UTC being notified of the gas line incident.” (That’s the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission.) For some, the break’s effects lasted into today; one nearby apartment resident noted in a comment that their building’s gas service was affected, which meant no hot water for washing and bathing,
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