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Journalism in the Public Interest

Pipeline Safety Tracker

Find the Accidents Near You

Virginia

95
Incidents

5
Fatalities

33
Injuries

$63.8M
Property Damages

75
Gas Incidents

20
Hazardous Liquid Incidents

Read the Virginia Pipeline profile from the US DOT

Pipeline Incidents by Cause

'86

1986

1 incidents. Causes:

Excavation Damage : 100%

'87

1987

5 incidents. Causes:

Material Weld Equipment Failure : 20%

Excavation Damage : 40%

All Other Causes : 40%

'88

1988

4 incidents. Causes:

Material Weld Equipment Failure : 25%

Incorrect Operation : 25%

Corrosion : 25%

All Other Causes : 25%

'89

1989

2 incidents. Causes:

Material Weld Equipment Failure : 50%

Excavation Damage : 50%

'90

1990

3 incidents. Causes:

Excavation Damage : 67%

All Other Causes : 33%

'91

1991

2 incidents. Causes:

Corrosion : 50%

All Other Causes : 50%

'92

1992

3 incidents. Causes:

Other Outside Force Damage : 33%

Excavation Damage : 67%

'93

1993

2 incidents. Causes:

Excavation Damage : 100%

'94

1994

3 incidents. Causes:

Incorrect Operation : 33%

Corrosion : 33%

All Other Causes : 33%

'95

1995

3 incidents. Causes:

Incorrect Operation : 67%

Excavation Damage : 33%

'96

1996

2 incidents. Causes:

Incorrect Operation : 50%

All Other Causes : 50%

'97

1997

3 incidents. Causes:

Natural Force Damage : 33%

Excavation Damage : 67%

'98

1998

4 incidents. Causes:

Excavation Damage : 50%

All Other Causes : 50%

'99

1999

2 incidents. Causes:

Excavation Damage : 50%

Corrosion : 50%

'00

2000

7 incidents. Causes:

Incorrect Operation : 14%

Excavation Damage : 43%

All Other Causes : 43%

'01

2001

4 incidents. Causes:

Natural Force Damage : 25%

Material Weld Equipment Failure: 25%

All Other Causes : 50%

'02

2002

3 incidents. Causes:

Excavation Damage : 33%

All Other Causes : 67%

'03

2003

4 incidents. Causes:

Other Outside Force Damage : 25%

Material Weld Equipment Failure : 25%

Excavation Damage : 50%

'04

2004

5 incidents. Causes:

Other Outside Force Damage : 60%

Incorrect Operation : 20%

Excavation Damage : 20%

'05

2005

3 incidents. Causes:

Material Weld Equipment Failure : 33%

Excavation Damage : 67%

'06

2006

5 incidents. Causes:

Other Outside Force Damage : 60%

Material Weld Equipment Failure : 20%

Excavation Damage : 20%

'07

2007

9 incidents. Causes:

Other Outside Force Damage : 67%

Natural Force Damage : 11%

All Other Causes : 22%

'08

2008

9 incidents. Causes:

Other Outside Force Damage : 78%

Excavation Damage : 11%

Corrosion : 11%

'09

2009

4 incidents. Causes:

Other Outside Force Damage : 50%

Material Weld Equipment Failure : 25%

Excavation Damage : 25%

'10

2010

2 incidents. Causes:

Natural Force Damage : 50%

All Other Causes : 50%

'12

2012

1 incidents. Causes:

Material Weld Equipment Failure: 100%

= on the map

More on this Data

The map displays only "significant incidents," defined by PHMSA, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, as those that caused either a death or serious injury, cost more than $50,000, released more than 50 barrels of liquid, or caused a fire or explosion (see the official definition here). It includes incidents through Sept. 28, 2012. Many incidents lack sufficient location data and do not appear on the map.
Source: PHMSA

Date Operator Fatalities Injuries Property Damage Cause
Sept. 5, 1986 Washington Gas Light Co 0 1 $268K Third Party Excavation Damage
March 26, 1987 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 2 $206K Third Party Excavation Damage
May 1, 1987 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $192K Unspecified Pipe Body Or Seam
June 11, 1987 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $0 Third Party Excavation Damage
June 30, 1987 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $871K Miscellaneous Cause
Oct. 8, 1987 Commonwealth Gas Services Inc 0 1 $0 Miscellaneous Cause
Jan. 7, 1988 Atmos Energy Corporation Ky/Mid States (Mid States) 0 0 $101K Miscellaneous Cause
Feb. 11, 1988 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $154K External Corrosion
July 19, 1988 Lynchburg Gas Co 0 1 $0 Unspecified Incorrect Operation
July 22, 1988 Atmos Energy Corporation Ky/Mid States (Mid States) 0 1 $16.9K Unspecified Mat'l/Weld/Equip Failure
Sept. 28, 1989 Columbia Gas Transmission Corp 0 0 $182K Third Party Excavation Damage
Dec. 18, 1989 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $122K Unspecified Pipe Body Or Seam
June 22, 1990 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $78.4K Third Party Excavation Damage
Aug. 29, 1990 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $0 Third Party Excavation Damage
Dec. 18, 1990 Commonwealth Gas Services Inc 0 2 $118K Miscellaneous Cause
May 16, 1991 Commonwealth Gas Services Inc 0 0 $302K External Corrosion
Dec. 31, 1991 Columbia Gas Transmission Corp 0 1 $0 Miscellaneous Cause
Aug. 18, 1992 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $111K Third Party Excavation Damage
Oct. 9, 1992 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $66.3K Operator/Contractor Excavation Damage
Nov. 12, 1992 Roanoke Gas Co 0 0 $368K Unspecified Outside Force Damage
Jan. 2, 1993 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $144K Third Party Excavation Damage
March 28, 1993 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $14.4M Unspecified Excavation Damage
April 5, 1994 Virginia Natural Gas 0 1 $0 Unspecified Incorrect Operation
June 30, 1994 Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company 0 0 $353K External Corrosion
Nov. 7, 1994 Virginia Natural Gas 1 0 $0 Miscellaneous Cause
Jan. 4, 1995 Washington Gas Light Co 0 2 $0 Unspecified Incorrect Operation
May 3, 1995 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $111K Operator/Contractor Excavation Damage
May 22, 1995 Danville Gas Dept 0 1 $0 Unspecified Incorrect Operation
July 17, 1996 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $881K Unspecified Incorrect Operation
Sept. 6, 1996 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $94.9K Miscellaneous Cause
Aug. 3, 1997 Commonwealth Gas Pipeline Corp 0 0 $266K Earth Movement
Sept. 9, 1997 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $131K Third Party Excavation Damage
Oct. 27, 1997 Columbia Gas Transmission Corp 0 0 $400K Operator/Contractor Excavation Damage
May 16, 1998 Columbia Gas Of Virginia Inc 1 0 $158K Third Party Excavation Damage
July 7, 1998 Washington Gas Light Co 1 1 $500K Miscellaneous Cause
Aug. 19, 1998 Virginia Natural Gas 0 0 $263K Miscellaneous Cause
Nov. 30, 1998 Columbia Gas Of Virginia Inc 0 0 $329K Third Party Excavation Damage
Jan. 3, 1999 East Tennessee Natural Gas Co 0 0 $162K Unspecified Excavation Damage
Jan. 3, 1999 Atmos Energy Corporation Ky/Mid States (Mid States) 0 0 $650K Unspecified Corrosion
Jan. 10, 2000 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $891K Unspecified Incorrect Operation
Feb. 2, 2000 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $955K Third Party Excavation Damage
May 8, 2000 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 0 1 $255K Miscellaneous Cause
May 30, 2000 Virginia Natural Gas 0 1 $0 Third Party Excavation Damage
July 21, 2000 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 0 1 $0 Miscellaneous Cause
Aug. 25, 2000 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $127K Miscellaneous Cause
Oct. 23, 2000 Columbia Gas Of Virginia Inc 0 0 $127K Third Party Excavation Damage
June 18, 2001 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 1 1 $0 Miscellaneous Cause
Sept. 8, 2001 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $249K Miscellaneous Cause
Oct. 9, 2001 Columbia Gas Transmission Corp 0 0 $124K Unspecified Mat'l/Weld/Equip Failure
Oct. 21, 2001 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 0 10 $124K Earth Movement
Feb. 19, 2002 Columbia Gas Of Virginia Inc 0 1 $147K Miscellaneous Cause
March 13, 2002 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $404K Miscellaneous Cause
Oct. 17, 2002 Columbia Gas Of Virginia Inc 0 0 $334K Third Party Excavation Damage
March 16, 2003 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $1.96M Body Of Pipe
April 3, 2003 Columbia Gas Of Virginia Inc 0 0 $241K Third Party Excavation Damage
Aug. 6, 2003 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 0 1 $0 Third Party Excavation Damage
Nov. 28, 2003 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $601K Unspecified Outside Force Damage
Jan. 31, 2004 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $475K Unspecified Outside Force Damage
March 18, 2004 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 0 1 $0 Unspecified Incorrect Operation
Aug. 14, 2004 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $505K Third Party Excavation Damage
Oct. 23, 2004 Washington Gas Light Co 0 1 $119K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Dec. 9, 2004 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $481K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Jan. 27, 2005 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $179K Non Threaded Connection Failure
Oct. 3, 2005 Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company 0 0 $189K Operator/Contractor Excavation Damage
Nov. 1, 2005 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $138K Third Party Excavation Damage
April 17, 2006 Plantation Pipe Line Co 0 0 $13.3M Pipe Seam
May 8, 2006 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 0 0 $154K Vehicle Not Engaged In Excavation
June 2, 2006 City Of Richmond Public Utilities 0 0 $187K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
June 24, 2006 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $454K Vehicle Not Engaged In Excavation
Nov. 27, 2006 Virginia Natural Gas 0 1 $4,262 Third Party Excavation Damage
April 16, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 1 0 $597K Unknown Cause
April 23, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $1.66M Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
April 24, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $1.31M Unknown Cause
May 15, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $874K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
May 18, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $440K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
June 23, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $327K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
July 5, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $273K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Oct. 26, 2007 Transmontaigne Operating Company L.P. 0 0 $1,091 Lightning
Nov. 25, 2007 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $544K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Jan. 14, 2008 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $1.05M Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Feb. 28, 2008 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $476K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
April 2, 2008 Shenandoah Gas Co 0 0 $158K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
April 7, 2008 Virginia Natural Gas 0 0 $548K Vehicle Not Engaged In Excavation
June 2, 2008 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $419K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Sept. 11, 2008 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $2.1M Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Sept. 14, 2008 Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company 0 0 $5.66M External Corrosion
Oct. 22, 2008 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $785K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Dec. 12, 2008 Columbia Gas Of Virginia Inc 0 0 $114K Third Party Excavation Damage
March 9, 2009 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $559K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
May 6, 2009 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $128K Joint/Fitting/Component
Sept. 30, 2009 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $308K Fire/Explosion As Primary Cause
Dec. 11, 2009 Virginia Natural Gas 0 0 $93.9K Operator/Contractor Excavation Damage
March 31, 2010 Colonial Pipeline Co 0 0 $124K Temperature
Dec. 19, 2010 Washington Gas Light Co 0 0 $449K Unknown Cause
Jan. 18, 2012 Virginia Natural Gas 0 0 $99.4K Other Equipment Failure