Natural Gas Line Rupture Leaves More Than 2,200 Customers in the Cold in Gunnison County, Colorado

At approximately 3:15 on Thursday, January 4th, a natural gas transportation line owned by Xcel Energy ruptured. The natural gas pipeline rupture disrupted natural gas service to all Atmos Energy customers in the north end of Gunnison County, Colorado including customers in Crested Butte South, the towns of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte as well as other outlying areas. The incident left 2,200 businesses and residences without service for three full days.

Natural gas expelled from the pipeline resulting from the rupture did not ignite, but the rupture did cause the ground near mile marker 24 of Colorado Highway 135 to collapse. The guardrail along the highway was also damaged.

Though no injuries or fatalities resulted from the incident, the natural gas pipeline break and subsequent disruption in service had extensive effects. Highway 135 was closed for nearly two hours during that afternoon and evening, effectively isolating the Crested Butte area's population. Several area businesses and restaurants were forced to close due to the disruption in service, leaving tourists including 1,300 college students in for the ski resort's annual "Butte Bash" without access to cooking facilities or restaurants for meals.

Emergency response to the incident was quick, and officials from Gunnison County, Xcel Energy and Atmos Energy worked together to manage the situation. Xcel energy workers began repairs to the line at approximately two hours after the rupture. The county's reverse 911 emergency system was activated five times during the three days that natural gas service was disrupted to keep the area's population informed and updated about the incident.

Atmos Energy workers began the time-intensive task of physically turning off every meter on the north end of the valley, as each individual natural gas meter needed to be turned off before natural gas service could be restored. Turning off meters was a necessary protective measure that minimized the risk of further incidents related to the rupture.

The Crested Butte town hall served as the emergency response center of operations for both local and Atmos energy officials.

As the January temperatures dropped and snow moved in, a decision was made to open two emergency shelters. The shelters offered a haven for residents left without natural gas to heat their homes or cook their food. Few residents used the shelters, even though temperatures fell below zero.

The inclement weather also hindered Atmos Energy's workers in their effort to turn off area gas meters as many meters were hidden under mounds of hard-packed snow.

Xcel energy completed the repairs to the natural gas line late in the evening on January 4.

After the line was repaired and all meters in the affected area had been turned off, Atmos Energy workers began the painstaking task of turning the meters back on and relighting pilot lights. For safety concerns, only Atmos Energy workers were allowed to relight pilot lights. Workers had to enter and relight pilot lights of more than 2,200 affected businesses and residences. Medical clinics were given top priority. Relighting the pilot lights of restaurants, hotels and residences quickly followed. The inspection and relighting process takes approximately 15 minutes for each customer.

The incident resolved late on Sunday, January 7th after restoring service to most customers in the area. Still, more than twenty residences are without service as Atmos officials have been unable to contact owners or property managers for these homes. Crested Butte is a resort community and many condos and homes are owned by investors with owners rarely spending time in residence. An incident like this one reinforces the need for second homeowners and real estate investors to hire a property manager, or, at the very least, update the county with emergency contact information.

Though the exact cause of the incident remains unknown, Xcel energy supposes that the pipeline may have been nicked during the installation of the highway's guardrail thus compromising the integrity of the line over the years.

The situation has been resolved, and local officials have begun the task of analyzing their response to the emergency so that they might be better prepared should another emergency occur in the future.