By Jon Johnson
PIMA – The ominous hissing of natural gas escaping quickly alerted those nearby of a possible calamity in western Pima on Tuesday morning.
First responders were advised at approximately 9:52 a.m. regarding a gas line that had been struck near the intersection of 200 North and 1600 West, which was actively spewing natural gas. The line was a high-pressure, 24-inch pipe run by natural gas company Kinder Morgan (which purchased El Paso). A 24-inch pipe is commonly referred to as a distribution line, which is typically buried deeper than a service line and is usually located 36 to 48 inches below the ground surface.
The sound of the escaping gas was so great that it reportedly was hurting a homeowner to the immediate southeast. However, no injuries were reported in the incident. The hissing rang throughout the Riverback neighborhood, and the smell of rotten eggs permeated the air.
According to Pima Police Chief Diane Cauthen, a preliminary investigation advised that a contractor was “smoothing dirt” with a backhoe and struck the gas line, which is typically buried 3 to 4 feet underground.
The volunteer Pima Fire Department responded to the scene along with workers from Kinder Morgan. Pima officers were then instructed to go door-to-door within a 1,000-yard radius to advise residents of a voluntary evacuation due to the possible danger from the ruptured gas line. The gas spewed for more than an hour, but by about 11:30 a.m., the line was sealed and the evacuation order was lifted.
Cauthen said an investigator with Kinder Morgan advised that the situation could have been much worse, as the gas line that was hit wasn’t fully charged due to a previous rupture in Thatcher. “He said that it was lucky it didn’t have full pressure in it,” Cauthen said. “I don’t know what he meant, but 500 pounds of pressure is a lot of pressure.”
Cauthen said while the responsible party won’t face any criminal charges, she believes Kinder Morgan will forward charges incurred for its workers to the contractor for payment.
As of 3:30 p.m., gas line workers were still on site, with a large section of pipe on a flatbed.
