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Shapiro Administration Secures Methane Detectors For Neighborhood In Plum Boro, Allegheny County Where Home Exploded

On August 25, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Rich Negrin announced they have secured combustible gas detectors for the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum Borough following an explosion that took the lives of six Pennsylvanians and damaged multiple homes.

The detectors will be provided at no cost to residents.

Olympus Energy, a shale gas drilling and pipeline company, has donated 250 detectors to the Rustic Ridge homeowners association. DEP personnel are partnering with the homeowners association to distribute the detectors to residents of Rustic Ridge.

DEP’s team of experts will provide residents with guidance for identifying the best location in their homes to install the detectors.

While the cause of the house explosion in Plum is still under investigation, gas detection alarms maintained for any home are a beneficial safety item.

“It is imperative that as our investigations advance, we continue to do all we can to support this wonderful community,” said Rich Negrin, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. “I met with families in Rustic Ridge this week who have concerns about their safety following this incident. This is one of a number of efforts by the Shapiro Administration to help provide resources to residents, and we will continue to work alongside our local partners, including Allegheny County, to support the Plum community.”

Combustible gas, like methane, occurs naturally in the environment and is used in many home appliances.

While methane gas from a utility company is odorized to help homeowners detect its presence, a combustible gas monitor will detect gas at very low levels and will also detect sources of gas that are not odorized, such as gas emanating directly from wells or natural sources.

These monitors offer an extra safeguard for any homeowners concerned about combustible gas inside their homes and will emit an audible signal upon detection.

“Our team is incredibly saddened by this horrific tragedy and have been looking for a way to offer support to the residents of Rustic Ridge,” said Tim Dugan, president and chief executive officer, at Olympus Energy. “To further our commitment to safe homes and communities, today, we are donating 250 home methane detectors to Rustic Ridge families to ensure every homeowner within the neighborhood has one installed in their home. Olympus’ thoughts and sympathies remain with the residents of Rustic Ridge and the Plum community, as well as the first responders who came to their aid.”

Under the Governor’s direction and in coordination with local and county authorities, DEP inspectors began conducting a stray gas investigation at the incident on Monday, August 14, 2023, to look for sources of combustible gas near the site of the explosion and inspecting nearby natural gas-related facilities and infrastructure under DEP’s jurisdiction.

DEP’s investigation is ongoing as it continues to work in cooperation with the Public Utility Commission, Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office, utility operators, and other county and local emergency service agencies. The ACFM continues its investigation into the cause and origin.

(Photo: Secretary Negrin (dark shirt); Plum Boro home explosion.)

Related Articles - Olympus Energy:

-- KDKA: Olympus Energy Natural Gas Pipeline Crashes Into And Through Family’s Home In Westmoreland County [12.30.22]

-- Olympus Energy Shale Gas Driller Expresses Fear Municipalities Will Use Their DEP Compliance Record With Hundreds Of Violations To Help Make Local Land Use Decisions On Oil & Gas Infrastructure Projects [PaEN]

-- Environmental Groups Raise Serious Compliance Issues With Olympus Energy-- Over 600 Violations On 13 DEP Permits-- In Comments On Proposed Shale Gas Drilling Pad In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Olympus Energy Natural Gas Driller Fined $175,000 For Water Quality Violations In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Comments On 2 Major Olympus Energy/Hyperion Midstream Natural Gas, Water Pipeline Projects Impacting EV, HQ Streams, Wetlands In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

NewsClips This Week - Plum Boro Home Explosion:

-- TribLive: Plum Boro Hosting Multi-Agency Resource Center Event Aug. 24 For Families Impacted By Gas Explosion

-- TribLive: DEP Examining ‘Pinhole Leak’ In A Penneco Natural Gas Gathering Line Behind Homes That Exploded In Plum Boro, Allegheny County [PUC, DEP Have No Statutory Authority To Regulate Safety Of Gathering Pipelines] [PaEN]

-- WTAE: Plum Boro Homeowner Says Peoples Gas Company Found Gas Leak At His Home

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: DEP Investigators Work Their Piece Of Gas Explosion Puzzle In Plum Boro

-- WTAE: DEP Pledges Home Methane Detectors, Fast-Tracked Test Results For Plum Boro Residents

-- TribLive: Like Smoke Alarms, Natural Gas Alarms Can ‘Alert You To A Potential Problem,’ Plum Boro Neighborhood Where Home Exploded May Soon Have Them

-- WTAE: Homeowners Searching For Natural Gas Detectors After Plum House Explosion

-- AP: 10 Damaged Homes Remain Uninhabitable A Week After Explosion That Killed 6 In Plum Boro, Allegheny County

-- TribLive Editorial: People Of Plum Deserve Honesty, Transparency In Explosion Investigation

-- TribLive: Plum Boro Community Seeks Will To Push Forward, A Week After Fatal House Explosion

-- TribLive: National Transportation Safety Board Will Not Investigate Fatal Plum Boro Home Explosion For Now

NewsClips This Week - Other Explosions

-- WHYY/Billy Penn: Neighbors Raise $20,000 For Residents Impacted By New Year’s Day Natural Gas Explosion In Port Richmond, Philadelphia

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 19 to 25 - More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Gas Frack-Out; More Leaking Wastewater Tanks; Equitrans Cleanup Continues [PaEN]

-- DEP Finds 2 More Petro Erie, Inc. Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Tanks With A Pipe Leading To A Discharge Area In A Ditch In Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County [PaEN]

-- Petro Erie, Inc. Appeals DEP’s July Field Order To Clean Up Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill Contaminating Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County; 2nd Appeal May Be Coming [PaEN]

-- Equitrans Determined Leak Of Over 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas From Cambria County Storage Facility Was Caused By Corrosion In Conventional Gas Well Casing [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - August 26 [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission To Vote Sept. 14 On Budget, Climate Change Resolution, Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 8 Shale Gas Drilling Operations - 1 In Exceptional Value Loyalsock Creek [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 25 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 62 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 26 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

NewsClips This Week - Natural Gas:

-- TribLive: Environmental Advocates Weight In On State Dept. Of Health, Pitt Study Of Natural Gas Development Health Impacts

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: PA Residents Call For Action After Pitt Study Links Natural Gas Development To Asthma, Childhood Lymphoma

-- Post-Gazette Letter: We Now Know How Bad Natural Gas Development Is For Children - By Dr. Edward Ketyer, Physicians For Social Responsibility PA

-- Inquirer - Will Bunch: Does Anyone Care About The Study Linking PA Natural Gas Development To Cancer In Kids?

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Health Depends On Regulation Of Oil & Gas Development [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Studies Of Natural Gas Development Point To Health Costs

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Give Teeth To Environmental Justice Policy

-- Observer-Reporter: State, County Elected Leaders Take Proactive Steps To Ban Oil, Gas Wastewater Injection Wells

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: DEP Cites Petro Erie With 5 Additional Violations [For More Leaking Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Tanks In Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County, Near Contaminated Reno Water Supply] [PDF of article]

-- The Derrick: No Word Yet On When Do Not Consume Water Advisory Will Be Lifted For The Village Of Reno Water Supply Contaminated By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater In Venango County [PDF of article]

-- The Derrick - Letter To Editor: Disappointed In Lack Of Involvement In Sen. Hutchinson, Rep. James To Resolve Village Of Reno Water Contamination Issue In Venango County [Polluted By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill] [PDF of Article]

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: LNG Natural Gas Export Facility Proposed In Chester Draws Pushback: ‘We Suffer For Everybody Else’s Comfort’

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: ‘We Suffer For Everybody’s Else’s Comfort’ Critics Of LNG Natural Gas Export Hub Say

-- WHYY: Chester Residents Unite Against Philly LNG Natural Gas Task Force Proposal: ‘We Will Not Allow This Environmental Genocide’

-- PA Capital-Star: Advocates Vow To Fight LNG Natural Gas Export Facility In Delaware County’s Poorest community

-- Inquirer: LNG Natural Gas Plant Could Bring Millions To Bankrupt Chester, Leaders, Residents Say No Thanks

-- Broad & Liberty Guest Essay: Federal Permitting Reform Critical In Making Pennsylvania Leading Player In Exporting Liquid Natural Gas - By Jon Anzur, PA Chamber of Business & Industry

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Business Advocates: Lack Of PA Permitting Reform Is Costing Jobs

-- City & State PA: Business Leaders, Lawmakers Hope For Bipartisan Action On Permitting Reform

-- The Center Square: Permitting Reformers Say Make State Permits More Like Pizzas

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Appalachian Economy Sees Few Gains From Natural Gas Development, Report Says