Friday, January 16, 2026

PUC Approves $35,000 Penalty Against Pronto Plumbing For 2022 Natural Gas Home Explosion In Dauphin County

On January 15, the
Public Utility Commission voted 5-0 to approve a settlement resolving an enforcement complaint related to a December 2022 natural gas explosion and fire at a residence in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

The Commission’s action approves, without modification, a settlement between the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) and Pronto Plumbing & Drain Inc., doing business as Pronto Plumbing Heating Air Drains.

The settlement addresses alleged violations of Pennsylvania’s Underground Utility Line Protection Law (the “One Call Law”) stemming from excavation work that damaged a natural gas service line. 

The Commission adopted the Recommended Decision issued by Administrative Law Judge Charece Z. Collins, which found that the settlement is supported by substantial evidence and is in the public interest.

Background

The enforcement case arose from a gas explosion and fire that occurred on December 13, 2022, at 3204 Crest Road in Harrisburg. 

During excavation to repair a sewer line, Pronto Plumbing struck and damaged a natural gas service line, resulting in a gas leak. 

Escaping natural gas accumulated inside the residence and later ignited, causing an explosion and secondary fire that destroyed the home, damaged three neighboring residences, and injured two people.

I&E’s investigation concluded that the incident involved alleged violations of the One Call Law, including failure to use prudent excavation techniques, failure to exercise due care when excavating in an unmarked area, failure to immediately notify the facility owner of damage to a gas line, and failure to properly renotify the Pennsylvania One Call System.

The damaged natural gas service line was operated by UGI Utilities Inc. Separate enforcement actions related to UGI remain pending before the Commission and are not resolved by today’s action.

Documents in the case can be found at PUC Docket No.: C-2025-3055920.

Click Here for the PUC announcement.

Related Article This Week:

-- DEP: Rice Drilling (EQT) Failed To Plug Abandoned Shale Gas Well For Over 5 Years In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: MarkWest Liberty Midstream Reports 5 More Drilling Fluid Losses Into Mine Voids In Washington County; Total Losses Now 1,241,500 Gallons  [PaEN]   

-- DEP: Truck Loses Load Of Shale Gas Wastewater On Access, Local Road To EQT Sarah Well Pad In Union Township, Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Day 239: Seneca Resources Wastewater Cleanup, Monitoring Efforts Continue At Vandergrift Shale Gas Well Pad In Charleston Twp., Tioga County  [PaEN]  

-- PennLive - John Beauge: DEP:  Eureka Resources Is Not Complying With Order To Safety Dispose Of Millions Of Gallons Of Oil & Gas Wastewater At Closed Facilities In Lycoming, Bradford Counties

-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Issues Violations To Eureka Resources In Wake Of Waste Spillage [PDF of Article]

-- Action Needed Now! Western PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Urging Pennsylvanians To Contact PA US Senators And Oppose Raid On Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funds [And Abandoned Oil & Gas Well Plugging Funding]   [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- E&E News/Politico: Energy Set To Dominate State Politics In Runup To Midterm Elections [PA Highlighted]  [PDF of Article]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: US EIA Predicts Price Of Natural Gas To Dip 2% In 2026, Increase 33% In 2027 Driven By LNG Gas Exports [PDF of Article]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Expand Energy CEO: Natural Gas Drillers Won’t Add New Production At $3.50 Gas Price-- $4.00 to $4.50 Is Needed To ‘Activate Supply Growth’  [PDF of Article]

-- YaleEnvironment360: US LNG Gas Exports Are Pushing Energy Bills Higher, Report Finds

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Coal Communities Accuse Congress Of Breaking Its Promise To Clean Up Abandoned Mine Lands [And Plugging Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells] 

-- PA Capital-Star: Federal Budget Bill Would Raid Fund For Cleaning Up Abandoned Coal Mines, Plug Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells - Pennsylvania Would Be Hardest Hit By Cuts 

-- E&ENews/Politico: Pipeline Safety Enforcement Cut In Half In President’s First Year

-- Post-Gazette: How Will President’s Actions In Venezuela Impact Pennsylvania?

-- NYT: President’s Plans For Venezuelan Oil Run Headlong Into Reality

[Posted: January 16, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

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