Unmarked gas line struck before deadly Dallas apartment explosion, initial NTSB report reveals
Federal officials have released an initial report on the deadly apartment explosion in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood late last month. A footnote included in the report says the gas line that was hit by a contractor crew wasn't marked.
The initial report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) largely recounts what is already publicly known about the explosion: that it happened just after 1 p.m. on May 28, left three people dead, injured at least six other people, and forced nearby homes and apartments to evacuate. However, the footnotes reveal that a company – identified as Engineering and Consulting Services Southwest (ECS) – had submitted a Texas 811 ticket on May 21.
The NTSB notes that Texas 811 is a centralized system that excavators are legally required to call at least two business days prior to starting a digging project to notify the gas company.
The footnote says that while the locations of some gas lines were marked with painting and flagging, the location of the gas line that was struck by a third-party contractor had not been identified and marked. A map provided by the NTSB showed the location of the service line that was hit and where the leak was.
Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said the leak at the Clyde apartment building was first reported at 12:47 p.m. The explosion happened shortly after.
In the aftermath of the explosion, an attorney for the apartment complex said in a statement shared with CBS News Texas that Barba Drilling, the third-party contractor that was also identified in the NTSB's initial report, was photographed at the site before the leak and subsequent explosion.
The NTSB's initial report lists a handful of agencies as parties to the investigation, including Dallas Fire-Rescue and Atmos Energy. It also noted the natural gas main and section of service line were both installed in 1988.
Atmos is already facing a lawsuit over the explosion from a resident who was severely burned. Kherkher Garcia, LLP filed the suit alleging the utility ignored warning signs of a gas leak before the Clyde Apartments erupted, accusing Atmos of failing to act on known dangers that led to the deadly blast. The firm's founding partner, Jesus Garcia, Jr., criticized Atmos for a history of preventable tragedies and vowed to pursue accountability and maximum damages.
"Atmos Energy is the source of far too many deaths and severe injuries year after year," Garcia said. "Atmos Energy routinely fails to conduct operations in a safe manner consistent with policies and procedures for working at or on a property where natural gas is present, which has resulted in countless preventable tragedies."
The lawsuit seeks compensation for past and future pain and suffering, impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, medical expenses, and medical monitoring.
Atmos, at the time, did not release a statement regarding the lawsuit, but has said a construction crew unrelated to the company damaged a natural gas line near the property. On Wednesday, the utility offered this statement to CBS News Texas in light of the initial NTSB report:
On May 28, Atmos Energy's service line to the apartment building at 409 East 9th Street in Dallas was struck by a third-party drilling company unrelated to Atmos Energy. Atmos Energy is actively supporting investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Railroad Commission of Texas, emergency responders, and all parties involved as they work to determine the cause of the incident. The NTSB issued a preliminary report today, which is available here and confirms that the investigation is ongoing.
Engineering and Consulting Services Southwest, LLP (ECS) had contracted Barba Drilling, which was operating a drill rig for soil sampling near the apartment building. ECS is a party to the NTSB investigation.
In the days before the incident, USIC Locating Services, LLC (USIC), a professional line location and damage prevention company contracted by Atmos Energy, performed services to locate Atmos Energy's natural gas lines in response to a Texas 811 ticket that had been called in by ECS. USIC is a party to the NTSB investigation. According to the NTSB's preliminary report, the location of some of the natural gas assets had been marked, but the location of the relevant gas line had not been marked.
Following the incident, two pressure tests of Atmos Energy's natural gas lines, which had been installed in 1988, were performed. Both pressure tests passed. The first pressure test was of the main and the service line to the apartment building up to where the service line was struck by the third-party drilling company unrelated to Atmos Energy. The second pressure test was of the service line from where it was struck to the meter at the property.
The safety of our communities and employees is our first priority. We are grateful to Dallas Fire Rescue and all first responders who bravely responded to this incident. Our hearts go out to the people who were lost, their families, and everyone who has been impacted by this tragedy.