PUC Approves $750,000 Penalty Against UGI Utilities For 2020 Natural Gas Main Eruption In Monroe County Killing 1 Person

On June 18, the Public Utility Commission approved a settlement with UGI Utilities Inc. – Gas Division (UGI) in connection with a 2020 gas main eruption beneath a roadway in Swiftwater, Monroe County, that resulted in one death and injuries to two other people.

The Commission voted 5-0 to approve the joint settlement between UGI and the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E), which had filed a formal complaint against UGI on Dec. 19, 2023, alleging violations of both state and federal regulations related to the incident on Lower Swiftwater Road in Swiftwater.

In its formal complaint, I&E stated that on Dec. 25, 2020, the failure of a UGI owned and maintained pipeline led to an underground natural gas release that left a large hole in the roadway, resulting in the death of a passenger in a passing vehicle; injuries to two other people; the evacuation of two nearby residences; and the loss of gas service to downstream customers.  

In total, the incident caused approximately $80,000 in damage.

Highlights of the joint settlement include:

-- UGI will pay a $750,000 civil penalty. The civil penalty is not tax deductible, and UGI will not seek recovery of any portion of the civil penalty in a future ratemaking proceeding.

-- UGI will enhance its qualified plastic butt-fusion procedure requirements and expand butt-fusion oversight activities, including new field sampling and testing requirements.

-- UGI will continue to expand and enhance the responsibilities of its Quality Assurance Group in order to improve its Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Program. In order to improve QA/QC for plastic pipe installations, with a focus on best practice fusion approaches,  UGI will hire an experienced consultant that will assist the company in developing targeted spans of control and/or appropriate inspection frequency intervals.

-- UGI will initiate a pilot to evaluate the feasibility of using available technology to collect attribute information during butt-fusion activities.

-- The company will enhance training for field inspectors.

-- UGI will continue to be proactive in reducing risk and ensuring the continued safe operation of the Monroe County Transit Authority (MCTA) Project facilities. This includes UGI replacing the remaining 12-inch high density plastic main pipeline that was installed as part of the original MCTA Project which is still in operation.

UGI is to verify with the Commission the fulfillment of each non-monetary, remedial measure. 

Click Here for the PUC announcement.

(Photo: Pocono Record.)

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 28 to July 4 - 30+ Days Of Cleanup Continues At Shale Gas Pad;  Failure To Comply With Plugging Order For 67 Months;  Failure To Install E&S Controls For 68 Months  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Active Wastewater Spill Remediation Efforts Have Continued For 30+ Days At The Seneca Resources Vandergrift Shale Gas Well Pad In Charleston Twp., Tioga County [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 5 [PaEN]  

-- DEP Posted 65 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 5 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles This Week:

-- Environmental Hearing Board Denies Request To End Appeal Of Catalyst Energy, Inc. Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Permit In McKean County  [PaEN] 

-- CNX Resources Challenges Environmental Hearing Board Authority To Add Conditions To Permits For Shale Gas Wells At The Drakulic Well Pad In Penn Twp., Westmoreland County  [PaEN] 

-- Warren Times Editorial: Pennsylvania Needs A New Plan For Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells; Increasing Bond Amounts Only Part Of Solution  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Adds McKean County Workshop To Promote $100/Well Bounty To Find Previously Unknown Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners; Workshops Set In Clarion, Crawford, Mercer Counties  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: The Real Story Behind The Act 13 Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fee - It's Not Funding, It's Cleanup Money - By Mary Jo Simmen-Gray, Hempfield, Westmoreland County Resident  [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Integrity Project: DEP Made Changes To Permit For MarkWest Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County To Reduce Air Emissions, Improve Accountability  [PaEN]  

-- Environmental Health Project To Launch Compounds Of Concern Online Tool During July 16 Webinar  [PaEN] 

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light Launches New Faith & Fossil Fuels Initiative; Invites Congregations, Individuals To Share Your Lived Experiences With Pollution  [PaEN]

-- PUC Approves $750,000 Penalty Against UGI Utilities For 2020 Natural Gas Main Eruption In Monroe County Killing 1 Person  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Seeks $395,000 Penalty Against UGI Utilities For 2022 Natural Gas House Explosion In Suburban Harrisburg; $50,000 Penalty Against Contractor  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Grid Operator Issues Hot Weather Alert For July 6 In Its Western Region, July 7 In Its Mid-Atlantic & Southern Regions, Including Areas In PA  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Commonwealth Court Rules Elizabeth Twp., In Allegheny County Violated Its Own Zoning Ordinance To Allow Shale Gas Well Pad, Pipeline To Be Built In A Residential Area 

-- TribLive: Residents Ask Upper Burrell Twp. To Adopt More Stringent Rules For Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Wells In Westmoreland County

-- Observer-Reporter: EQT Shale Gas Driller Sues Morgan Twp., Greene County In Federal Court Over Limits On Heavy Equipment Hauling On Local Roads To Prevent Damage  [PDF of Article] 

-- WNEP: Lithium On Oil & Gas Wastewater Gives Legislators Hope For Another ‘Boom’ In Susquehanna County’s Economy

-- PennLive: PUC Files Complaints Against UGI, Plumber For 2022 Dauphin County House Explosion

-- MCall - Anthony Salamone: UGI Fined For Christmas Day 2020 Natural Gas Leak That Killed 1 Person

-- KYW: Deadly Explosion In Philadelphia’s Nicetown Neighborhood Could Be Natural Gas-Fueled, Source Says 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Natural Gas Leak Results In Power Being Cut To Much Of Downtown Wilkes-Barre, Turning Off Street Lights Throughout The City

-- WHYY: PUC Judge Denies Philadelphia Gas Works Request For Internal Emails, Texts, Memos From Climate Groups Participating In Its Rate Case, It Would Violate The First Amendment 

-- Spotlight PA: Costs Of Amazon’s $20 Billion Promise To Build Data Centers In PA Unknown: Impact On Electricity Supply, Power Costs To Consumers, Tax Revenue Forfeit 

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Summer’s Triple Threat - Energy Bills Rising, Grids Straining, Help Shrinking - By Destenie Nock, Peoples Energy Analytics  

-- EPA To Open Public Comment Docket, Host Listening Sessions On Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Implementation  

-- Reuters: US Energy Firms Eye New Northeast Natural Gas Pipelines, Buoyed By President, Demand Outlook

-- Bloomberg: Electronic Warfare During Iran Strikes Crashes Global Shipping’s Navigation System, Including Oil, LNG Natural Gas Ships

[Posted: July 2, 2025]  PA Environment Digest