20231204AVU to Staff 2 Attachment B.pdf

Williams Pipeline Incident – MEDIA BRIEFING, Friday, NOV. 10
(Draft)
Time : 11:00 AM
Location: Pullman Service Center – 5702 State Route 270, Pullman, WA
99163
11:00 AM – Heather Rosentrater, President and Chief Operations Officer
Thank you for being here. This is a serious event that many of us will never forget.
Although, as a team, we’ve been working around the clock over the last two days –
for our CUSTOMERS – we still have a long road ahead of us.
Today I want to focus on our plan to restore services to the estimated 37,000
natural gas customers who have been without heat, hot water, and other services
for the last 40 hours.
Our top priority remains the same – to restore natural gas as quickly and safely as
possible to our customers.
We are aware of the HARDSHIP, STRESS and FRUSTRATION people are
experiencing – particularly with the cold weather upon us.
Our team is doing everything we can to expedite this critical work.
As for the current status of the restoration process:
I’m happy to share that within the last hour we’ve completed another important
phase of the restoration process. The safety shut-off process is now complete. This
was supported by over 260 Avista employees who amassed over 3000 hours of
worktime to get it done. We have already been able to start the relight process and,
at this point, x customers have been relit.
Thanks to our amazing employees, peer utilities, and HVAC responders, by the
end of the day today, we expect to have over 500 responders in the area supporting
the relight process.
Staff_PR_002 Attachment B Page 1 of 5
At a high level, we expect to have all customers relit by the end of the day on
Tuesday. Through the incredible support we’ve received, we’ve been able to turn
an incident that could have taken weeks to resolve, into being able to restore
everyone in less than a week.
We will keep working until every customer is restored.
This is the largest natural gas outage in Avista’s history by far. The restoration
process involves many steps that will take time to ensure the safety of our
customers and our employees.
And, we know having a more exact relight time is important to our customers,
especially because they are required to be present for that step, so to discuss in
more detail about that restoration process and the relight plan, I would like to invite
Josh DiLuciano, our Vice President of Energy Delivery, to the microphone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:10 – Josh DiLuciano, Vice President of Energy Delivery
Thank you, Heather,
There are many factors that make the restoration process complex and time-
consuming, but I’d like to provide a glimpse into that process:
•Avista crews continue to go home-to-home, around the clock, to manually
shut-off natural gas This is a required step to prepare the system before
relighting can take place. Customers do not need to be present for this
process.
•To assist Avista crews in this process, home and business owners are
encouraged to make sure any gates leading to natural gas meters are
unlocked and obstacles are removed.
•Once the relight process starts, the complete natural gas restoration for
Avista customers is estimated to be three to five days.
•Once the gas has been shut off, do not turn it back on. Only Avista can turn
it back on. After gas is shut off to the home or business, no other actions are
required for specific appliances.
Staff_PR_002 Attachment B Page 2 of 5

• Crews will then safely prepare the system for relights, which entails re-
pressurizing the natural gas distribution system. Following repressuring, the
natural gas appliance relight process is initiated.

• The relight process involves a service person knocking on a door and
entering the property when a resident is home. An adult will need to be
present to let the service person inside. Please do not leave doors to homes
unlocked. All field personnel conducting relights will have identification.
• Once relit, Avista will check the appliances in the residence.
• If the resident is not home, Avista will leave a card on the door upon the last
attempt for the day, inviting the customer to call Avista so someone can
come back to relight.
• Customers do not need to schedule their own relights. There is no cost to
customers for relights or gas restoration activity.
• Messaging about priority restoration, schools, hospitals, etc.

Placeholder to transition to estimated restoration time by area using
Zones/Graphs/Maps of relighting efforts. (Vern)
Based on the geographic location of infrastructure and resource coordination, we have identified
6 customer zones and have identified a 1 or 2 day window for relight estimates.
Zone 0 – Today, Friday Nov. 10th
Zone 1 - Today, Friday, Nov 10th PM to Saturday, Nov. 11th PM
Zone 2 – Saturday, Nov. 11th AM to Sunday, Nov 12th PM
Zone 3 – Sunday, Nov. 12th PM to Monday, Nov. 13th PM
Zone 4 – Monday, Nov. 13th AM to Tuesday, Nov. 14th AM (1 Exception - Lewiston Zone 4 is
Sunday, Nov. 12th)
Zone 5 – Sunday, Nov 12th PM to Tuesday, Nov. 14th AM

Today, we are sending a customer email to all impacted customers with the maps, information on
which zone they are in and estimated timing for each zone, which will give them a 1 to 2-day
window when we will be in their area. Within 24 hours of their actual relight time, customers
will receive additional notification by phone and email. As a reminder, relights will occur
between 6am and 10pm.

Staff_PR_002 Attachment B Page 3 of 5
Now, I’d like to a moment to reinforce some very important safety reminders:
•We’d like to remind customers to never use an outdoor grill or other items
not intended for indoor use for heating or cooking indoors, as the fumes are
toxic.
•As mentioned before, but worth reiterating, do not turn your valve back on at
the meter. Only Avista crews can turn it back on and go through the
relighting process.
Turn it back to Heather
Heather Rosentrater:
Before I wrap up, there are MANY PEOPLE WE NEED TO THANK AND
RECOGNIZE TODAY.
First and foremost, I want to THANK OUR CUSTOMERS.
The stories we have heard about people helping their neighbors -- and even
strangers -- says something about our community and the people who live here.
And, the incredible kindness the community has shown to our employees is been
absolutely heartwarming.
•This is an amazing community that comes together in times of crisis.
•Thank you for taking care of each other.
Speaking of the community stepping up during this challenging time, I want to
outline several resources that are available in the community for those in need:
•Palouse Community center has heat - open and welcoming all (Palouse location)
•Latah Recovery Center: offering free beverages and space heaters until they are out.
(Moscow location)
•Moscow UU Church has heat and will be open….(Paul is finding out more on this one
for me)
•Albion Community Center also opened and has heat (Albion location)
I’d also like to THANK OUR PARTNERS
•Cities and elected officials
•first responders, non-profit agencies, and countless others
Staff_PR_002 Attachment B Page 4 of 5
I’d like to thank all the MUTUAL AID CREWS who have joined us from 7
Peer utilities throughout the western united states from as far away as California
and Wyoming. We’ve also received help from contractors and HVAC resources.
These dedicated individuals are sacrificing time away from their families to help
our community.
I’d also like to thank our EMPLOYEES….
•Many of our employees have been working around the clock to RESTORE
services, SUPPORT THE CREWS, AND PROVIDE INFORMATION
AND RESOURCES TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
•Many of our own employees are without natural gas in their own homes. Yet
they are on the job, working on behalf of our customers.
•We’ve also had employees, who don’t have operational responsibilities, out
volunteering to help in this crisis.
IN CLOSING -- I want to again express my sincere gratitude for the patience our
customers have had during this crisis.
Avista will continue to work around the clock until all our customers are restored.
We will provide more updates as the process continues.
Now I will open it up to questions.
Staff_PR_002 Attachment B Page 5 of 5