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PUC: No Evidence Public Utility Natural Gas Equipment Caused 2022 Hialeah Dr. Home Explosion In Plum Boro, Allegheny County

On September 5, the The Safety Division of the Public Utility Commission-- which is part of the Commission’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement-- has concluded their investigation into an April 2022 incident in Plum Borough, Allegheny County, finding no evidence that public utility equipment caused the event.

Hialeah Drive Incident Overview

On April 23, 2022, pipeline safety engineers from the Safety Division responded to and initiated an investigation of a reported explosion and fire at 5021 Hialeah Drive in Plum Borough, Allegheny County.

This explosion at Hialeah Drive injured five people, destroyed one home and damaged several other neighboring residences.

While initial firefighting and recovery efforts were underway, investigators from the Safety Division began gathering preliminary information from residents, responders, and utilities around that location.

After the initial fire and rescue activities had concluded, safety engineers began a more detailed investigation at the site – working alongside other agencies who also responded to the incident.

Safety Division Investigation

The investigation by pipeline safety engineers included detailed interviews with Peoples Natural Gas employees, first responders and residents; the extensive examination of physical jurisdictional evidence and utility operational records; the monitoring of service restorations and repairs around the incident site; and other observations by expert engineers.

Actions taken during the investigation included:

-- Testing of Peoples Natural Gas service lines, meters, and regulators, along with the testing of odor levels in the natural gas distribution system.

-- Monitoring leak survey bar holes while exploring for gas indications in and around 5021 Hialeah Drive and above the underground gas facilities.

-- Directing Peoples Natural Gas to continue performing leak surveys for several days following the incident, along with safety checks in the surrounding neighborhood.

-- Observing work by Peoples Natural Gas to safely restore service to affected customers.

Additionally, engineers from the Safety Division provided oversight in the collection of evidence around the incident site, along with reviewing gas consumption records for 5021 Hialeah Drive and carefully studying operator records and maps of public utility facilities in that area.

At this point in time, the Safety Division has not found any evidence that public utility equipment caused the April 2022 event in Plum Borough, and there are also no indications of natural gas migrating through the soil around the incident site.

The focus of any further review of this incident involves the interior of the residence, which is outside the scope of the PUC’s jurisdiction and is subject to investigation by other agencies.

The Safety Division appreciates the cooperation of Plum Borough, the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office and various other agencies who responded to this incident – and thanks the residents and others impacted by this incident for their cooperation and patience during the investigation.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - September 2 to 8; Equitrans Issued NOVs For Failing To Provide DEP Inspectors Access To Facilities As Requested [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - September 9 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 47 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 9 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- AP: Investigators Pinpoint House As Source Of Gas Explosion That Killed 6 In Plum Boro, Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Investigators Say Cause Of Fatal Plum Boro Gas Explosion Came From Inside The Home

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Officials Update Sugarcreek Boro On Continuing Reno Water Issues In Venango County, Aqua PA Still Hauling Water To Keep System Going; DEP To Hold Public Meeting [Water Supply Contaminated By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater] [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Lessons Of Equitrans 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Natural Gas Storage Facility Blowout Just Starting To Surface As Gas Injection Season Nears

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Equitrans Names New CEO To Coincide With Completion Of Mountain Valley Natural Gas Pipeline Project

-- DEP Holds Sept. 19 Meeting On Ethane Chilling Expansion Project At Energy Transfer Marketing In Marcus Hook Boro, Delaware County

-- University Of Pittsburgh News: Pitt Studies Link Unconventional Natural Gas Development To Childhood Cancer, Asthma Attacks

-- Inquirer Editorial: Natural Gas Development Is Making Pennsylvanians Sick, Lawmakers Must Act

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Leaders Aren’t Helpless And Must Take Action To Protect Constituents From Natural Gas Development Health Impacts - By Tom Pike, Penn Twp., Westmoreland County

-- The Daily Item Guest Essay: Is Natural Gas Development Good For Pennsylvania? $3.8 Billion In PA Taxpayer Subsidies; University Of Pittsburgh Health Studies; Methane Leaks; Jobs Decline - By Sandy Field, Climate Reality Project - Susquehanna Valley Chapter

-- Reading Eagle Guest Essay: PA Farmers Benefit From Strong Natural Gas Industry, Don’t Adopt A Severance Tax - By Matt Espenshade, President Of PA State Grange

-- Observer-Reporter: Operating In Marcellus Energizes Range Resources [Puff Piece On Shale Gas Industry, Nothing On Real Impacts To Environment, Health In PA’s Most Densely Drilled County-- Washington]

-- The Guardian: Report - Natural Gas Projects In Australia Risk Exposing People To Cancer And Birth Defects [Following University Of Pittsburgh Studies]

-- NJ Spotlight News - Jon Hurdle: Feds Suspend Rule Allowing Natural Gas To Be Shipped By Train, Another Blow To Plan For LNG Natural Gas Export Terminal In South Jersey

-- Scranton Times Editorial: US DOT Defuses Rolling Bombs [Shipping LNG Natural Gas By Train] For Now

-- Bloomberg: Higher Natural Gas Price In Europe Makes Holding Back Supplies For A Month Lucrative

-- Washington Examiner: Fragile LNG Natural Gas Market Vulnerable To Major Price Swings, Supply Shortages

-- Wall Street Journal: Saudi Oil Production Cuts Send World Diesel Prices Soaring

-- AP: Oil Prices Spike As Saudi Arabia, Russia Extend 1.3 Million Barrel A Day Oil Cut Thru December

-- Inside Climate News: New PA Legislation Aims To Classify Oil & Gas Wastewater As Hazardous Waste

-- Utility Dive: PJM, Natural Gas, Other Electric Generators Reach Agreement To Resolve $1.8 Billion In Winter Storm Elliot Nonperformance Penalties; Details Confidential Now But Will Be Made Public Later In September

-- Wall Street Journal: Race To Drill America’s Longest Oil And Gas Wells [PA Included]

Related Articles This Week:

-- KDKA: Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline Crashes Into, Thru Westmoreland County Home And A Loophole In State Law That Doesn’t Regulate Gathering Pipelines For Safety [PaEN]