PA Environment Digest Blog: PUC Investigation Concludes No Evidence 2023 Plum Boro Home Natural Gas Explosion In Allegheny County Caused By Gas Utility Equipment

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

PUC Investigation Concludes No Evidence 2023 Plum Boro Home Natural Gas Explosion In Allegheny County Caused By Gas Utility Equipment

On July 16, the Public Utility Commission Safety Division, part of the Commission’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E), has concluded its investigation into the August 2023 incident in Plum Borough, Allegheny County.

Following an extensive and exhaustive investigation into this tragedy, the Safety Division found no evidence linking public utility jurisdictional assets to the cause of the deadly house explosion and fire in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood which resulted in six deaths, several injuries, the destruction of three homes and damage to other surrounding residences.

While the PUC’s portion of the investigation has concluded, the Commission recognizes and deeply appreciates the profound level of concern this incident has generated within the community and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this tragic event.

The PUC remains steadfast in our commitment to public safety and our Safety Division experts are available as a resource to the Allegheny County Fire Marshal and other investigators who continue examining the cause of the Rustic Ridge Drive incident.

Rustic Ridge Incident and Safety Division Investigation

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 information from residents, responders, and utilities around that location.

Following the conclusion of fire and rescue activities, safety engineers worked with other state and local agencies who also responded to the incident – including the Allegheny County Fire Marshal, the Department of Environmental Protection, Peoples Natural Gas (Peoples Gas) and other entities involved in the response to this incident.

Immediately following the incident, the Safety Division required field and laboratory testing of Peoples Gas service lines and other pertinent jurisdictional facilities and monitored integrity tests of nearby public utility natural gas service lines by crews from Peoples Gas.

The PUC safety team also conducted detailed interviews with utility employees, first responders and residents and collected and reviewed extensive data from Peoples Gas and monitored the safe restoration of electric and natural gas service to homes in the area that were not directly impacted by the explosion.

Additionally, engineers from the Safety Division assisted the fire marshal with the investigation of oil company assets near the explosion site and worked in conjunction with PA DEP to investigate other potential gas sources.

While the Safety Division’s authority is limited to piping that falls under the PUC’s jurisdiction, the experience and expertise of safety engineers was valuable in assisting other investigators.

The focus of any further investigation 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.

Acknowledgments and Continuing Commitment

The Safety Division appreciates the cooperation of Plum Borough, the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office, local fire and rescue personnel, the Department of Environmental Protection, and other agencies who responded to this incident.

We also extend our gratitude to the residents and others impacted by this incident for their cooperation and patience during the investigation.

The PUC remains committed to ensuring public safety and will continue to serve as a resource for the ongoing investigation being conducted by local officials.

Resource Links:

-- DEP: Preliminary Test Results Not Indicative Of Stray Gas Migration Cause Of Plum Boro Home Explosion In Rustic Ridge Allegheny County [PaEN]

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

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 13 to 19 - Pipeline Construction Spill; 9 Abandoned Conventional Wells; Failure To Comply With Order [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 20 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 20 PA Bulletin [PaEN]