From:
Michelle Thebert
Sent:
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 12:07 PM
To:
Lauren McDonald; Tim Echols; Chuck Eaton; Jason Shaw; Tricia
Pridemore
Cc:
Tom Bond; Jack Branch; Will Culbreath
Subject:
Homerville- Consent Agreement
Thank you for your consideration of the stipulation between Staff and AGL on the August 2018 Homerville incident. I wanted to provide some additional details which will help you understand the reasoning for the requested allocation of the $250,000.00. The proposal divides the money amongst providing crucial equipment to fire departments, creating/conducting educational programs and information directed towards water and sewer operators, and providing needed funds to the GPERI program. The stipulation states that AGL cannot recover any of the $250,000.00 through rates or by ratepayers. Additionally, if AGLC receives any tax benefits as a result of utilizing the money, all benefits must be passed on to ratepayers.
Regarding the proposal to allocate money for gas detectors for smaller fire departments, I have attached a list of the 85 fire departments within AGLC’s certificated territory that could receive the gas detectors. The plan is that once AGL finalizes which detector and calibration kit makes best sense for each department, AGL will know how many units to order from the manufacturer. If there are more departments than money, AGL will go through the list and identify the departments that have the greatest need/make the most sense to receive the units. This includes training and calibration for the equipment. As you recall, the Homerville Fire Department did not have a gas detector, and therefore did not have knowledge of the level of natural gas in the Coffee Corner restaurant. Had the Homerville Fire Department had equipment to use to detect the amount of gas in the restaurant, he would have had better information to make a determination on the best course of action.
On the issue of damage prevention education directed specifically towards water and sewer utilities, the two state level water/sewer organizations that we plan to work with are the Georgia Rural Water Association and the Georgia Association of Water Professionals. The plan is to work with these groups, along with joint attendance at annual county commissioner meetings, etc., to educate the groups on the importance of damage prevention activities for gas and sewer lines. As you recall, the sewer lines in Homerville were not marked and subsequently damaged, and the released gas traveled through the sewer lines into the Coffee Corner.
Water and sewer lines are often unmarked by the operators even with a request through 811. It can be difficult to reach this audience though normal 811 education activities. This joint project with AGL will allow us to reach out directly to the water and sewer communities to address failures to make, remind them of the legal requirements for marking their facilities, and stress the importance of awareness of all direct and indirect excavation activities.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am in Maine this week at a NAPSR meeting, but I am able to check email/VM periodically. If you need an answer quicker than I can respond, Tom and Jack Branch are familiar with the terms of the stipulation, as well.
Thank you for your consideration of adopting this stipulation.
Thanks,
Michelle
Michelle L. Thebert
Director, Facilities Protection Unit
Georgia Public Service Commission
244 Washington Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30334