PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP: Preliminary Test Results Not Indicative Of Stray Gas Migration Cause Of Plum Boro Home Explosion In Rustic Ridge Allegheny County

On September 8, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it completed its analysis of preliminary test results from its stray gas investigation relating to the house explosion in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood of Plum Borough in Allegheny County. Preliminary results are not indicative of a stray gas migration incident.

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

DEP inspectors found detectible concentrations of combustible gas throughout this area on August 14, but that gas is no longer detectible throughout soils near the incident.

Isotopic samples, which help to identify molecular signatures, were collected by DEP and Peoples Natural Gas (PNG) on August 14 from soils and a nearby PNG gas meter.

A total of 18 points of interest were investigated. Gas samples were collected from 5 of those locations for isotopic analysis. Those locations include the area around a leaking gas pipeline, gas in the soil near a People’s meter, and under the foundation of the home.

Preliminary results are not indicative of a stray gas migration incident. The findings suggest that concentrations of gas detected on August 14 came from single inundation event, likely the explosion itself.

In addition, DEP identified a total of seven conventional oil and gas wells and two gathering pipelines within a 2,500 ft radius of the home. DEP inspected those wells and pipelines immediately following the incident and determined that they were all in compliance.

One of the two pipelines, a suction line to a compressor station, was known to be leaking, but had been taken out of commission one week prior to the incident.

The other pipeline, a gathering line which ties into the suction line, was taken out of service immediately after the incident out of an abundance of caution. That gathering line passed a pressure test on August 15 with no leaks detected.

Out of an abundance of caution, on August 25, DEP worked to facilitate the distribution of combustible gas detectors to the 227 houses in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood.

DEP estimates that around 90% of the units were picked up for the houses in the community, and remaining residents will be contacted by the Rustic Ridge homeowner’s association to secure their detectors should they want them.

The Shapiro Administration also collaborated with Allegheny County to provide support to residents at a multi-agency resource center held at the Plum Borough Municipal Complex Gymnasium. County, state, and federal agencies helped impacted homeowners with services such as license replacements from PennDOT and assistance with insurance carriers through the PA Department of Insurance.

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NewsClips - Plum Boro Explosion:

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

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

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]