PA Environment Digest Blog: Public Utility Commission Safety Investigation Ongoing Following Deadly House Explosion In Plum Borough, Allegheny County

On August 15, the Public Utility Commission announced Pipeline safety engineers from the PUC’s Safety Division– which is part of the Commission’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) – are continuing their investigation into an August 12th incident in Plum Borough, Allegheny County which resulted in five deaths, several injuries, the destruction of three homes and damage to other surrounding residences.

Plum Investigation Overview

On August 12, 2023, pipeline safety engineers responded to the scene of a reported explosion and house fire at 141 Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum.

While firefighting and recovery efforts were still active at the scene, investigators from the Safety Division began gathering preliminary information from residents, responders, and utilities around that location.

Following the conclusion of initial fire and rescue activities, safety engineers have been able to access more of the site and begin their analysis – working with other state and local agencies who also responded to the incident – and the Safety Division remains in close communication with the Allegheny County Fire Marshall, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Peoples Gas and other entities involved in the response to this incident.

The Safety Division has been monitoring integrity tests of nearby public utility natural gas service lines by crews from Peoples Gas; conducting detailed interviews with utility employees, first responders and residents; and coordinating the collection of physical jurisdictional evidence at the scene – including natural gas service lines and meters.

Additionally, safety engineers have been monitoring the restoration of electric service to homes in the area that were not directly impacted by the explosion – as well as the planning and safe restoration of natural gas service to residents.

PUC Safety Division Jurisdiction and Investigations

The Safety Division investigation in Plum is active and ongoing – gathering and analyzing evidence and data to explore whether public utility infrastructure or operations contributed to the cause and circumstances surrounding an incident, along with whether there are any violations of state or federal pipeline safety regulations.

It is important to note that I&E investigations are limited – by regulation – to the involvement of, or impact from, utilities and utility systems under the jurisdiction of the PUC, along with natural gas transported by those assets.

I&E does not have jurisdiction to investigate items, events, or piping beyond the outlet of a service meter within a structure – and the interior, non-jurisdictional, assets involved in incidents are the subject of investigation by other parties and agencies outside the PUC.

The Safety Division recognizes the strong public interest in these types of incidents, especially for those who have been directly impacted, and works to address safety concerns in a timely matter.

Still, it is important to understand that these are complex circumstances which may require extensive analyses by engineers and other experts, along with laboratory testing and other technical study before conclusions can be reached.

Any determinations and/or actions are based on that information, within the scope of the PUC’s jurisdiction, and any safety concerns identified by investigators are addressed promptly with regulated pipeline operators and/or utilities.

While the full investigation by the Safety Division may take up to a year or longer to reach any conclusions, I&E will not hesitate to take immediate action to address health or public safety concerns that are identified.

The Safety Division appreciates the cooperation of Plum and Allegheny County, along with and various other local and state emergency agencies who have been part of the investigation, as well as residents and others impacted by this incident.

Companion Article:

-- DEP Investigating Other Possible Sources Of Methane As Part Of Response To Plum Borough Home Explosion, Including Nearby Conventional, Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- DEP Working With PUC, Local And Allegheny County Agencies On Plum Boro House Explosion Investigation

-- AP: Underground Coal Mines Unlikely To Blame For Deadly House Explosion In Plum Boro, DEP Says

-- TribLive: DEP Inspectors Capture Gas Samples At Plum Boro Explosion Site, Await Test Results

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Orders DEP Probe Of Plum House Explosion

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Gov. Shapiro Directs DEP To Investigation Plum Boro House Explosion

-- TribLive: Gas Company: No Common Links Between Plum Home Explosions

-- TribLive: 6th Victim Dies From Plum Borough House Explosion

-- AP: 6th Person Dies From Injuries Suffered In PA House Explosion

-- TribLive: Plum School District Partners With Therapists To Serve Those Impacted By Home Explosion Tragedy

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PUC Investigators Interviewing Witnesses, Monitoring Evidence Collection In Plum House Explosion

-- TribLive: Peoples Gas Mum About Possible Natural Gas Odor In Plum Boro Neighborhood Prior To House Explosion

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Fire Marshal Finds No Signs To Link 5 Separate House Explosions In Plum Boro Since 1990s

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas/Megan Tomasic: What To Know About The Plum House Explosion That Killed 5

-- AP: Homeowner Were Having Issues With Hot Water Tank Before Home Explosion In Plum, Allegheny County, Officials Say

-- TribLive: Natural Gas System Leaks Found In Plum’s Regency Park Neighborhood Following Fatal Rustic Ridge Blast

-- TribLive: 2 Plum Borough Officials Among House Explosion Deaths; All 5 Now Identified

-- KDKA: Cause Of Deadly Home Explosion That Killed 5, Including Child, Unknown

-- WTAE: Allegheny County Says House That Exploded In Plum Was Having Hot Water Tank Issues

-- TribLive: 5 Dead, Including 1 Child, In Plum House Explosion In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Plum Residents Come To Terms With 5 Deaths In House Explosion

-- TribLive: Cause Of Plum House Explosion Could Take Months Or Years To Find, Authorities Say

-- AP: 5 People, Including A Child, Are Dead After An Explosion Destroys 3 homes, Damages 12 Others In Plum, Allegheny County

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Is There Something Rotten [With Gas] In Plum? PUC, DEP Must Investigate

-- TribLive Editorial: Plum House Explosion Response Shows Value Of Good Neighbors

NewsClips This Week:

-- The Center Square: Natural Gas Well Setbacks May Not Be Protective Enough After Health Impact Study Results

-- Post-Gazette: Processing Research On Southwestern PA Natural Gas Development And Health, Residents Seek Answers Together: ‘We Deserve Better’

-- WTAE: To The Frustration Of The Village Of Reno Residents, ‘Do Not Consume’ Water Advisory Approaches One Month Mark In Venango County, After Contamination By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill

-- Bloomberg Column: Cancer In Kids Is Too High A Price For Cheap Natural Gas - By Mark Gongloff

-- TribLive: 6th Victim Dies From Plum Borough House Explosion

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Orders DEP Probe Of Plum House Explosion

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Gov. Shapiro Directs DEP To Investigation Plum Boro House Explosion

-- DEP Working With PUC, Local And Allegheny County Agencies On Plum Boro House Explosion Investigation

-- AP: Underground Coal Mines Unlikely To Blame For Deadly House Explosion In Plum Boro, DEP Says

-- TribLive: DEP Inspectors Capture Gas Samples At Plum Boro Explosion Site, Await Test Results

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Is There Something Rotten [With Gas] In Plum? PUC, DEP Must Investigate

-- Observer-Reporter: Fayette County Commissioners Take Step To Prevent Oil/Gas Wastewater Injection Wells

-- Halt The Harm Network, FracTracker Alliance: Aug. 30 Webinar: Wasted Water - The Impacts Of Fracking's Water Use From PA To Colorado, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

-- NBC News: Millions In US Live Near Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Linked To Explosions And Toxins [Pennsylvania Profiled]

-- NBC News: EQT Natural Gas, Abandoned Well Frack-Out, In New Freedom, Greene County Stirs Suspicion And A Year Of Frustration In Tiny PA Town

-- The Allegheny Front: New Investigation Shows State Regulators Have Struggled To Keep Up With Pollution Events At Shell’s Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County

-- Environmental Health News: Beaver County Community Will Get $5 Million Due To Shell Petrochemical Plant Pollution - Just Don’t Call It Charity

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Better Oversight Of US Natural Gas Pipelines Needed - By Pittsburgh City Council Member & former Colorado County Commissioner

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Control Leaks From Natural Gas Pipelines

-- AG Henry Approves Settlement Of Anti-Competitive Energy Deal Between EQT Natural Gas, Quantum Energy Partners