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Equitrans gas pipeline firm faces criminal charges in connection with 2018 Greene County house explosion [1]
['Stephanie Ritenbaugh']
Date: 2023-11-01 18:15:29+00:00
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After a two-year investigation into a 2018 house explosion in Greene County that left a family homeless, the state Attorney General’s Office announced criminal charges against Equitrans Midstream Corp., accusing the company of failing to fix a natural gas leak that led to the blast.
A couple and their 4-year-old son suffered severe burns when their home on Bowser Road near Clarksville exploded five years ago on Halloween.
They were unaware their home sat atop a natural gas storage field. A nearby gas storage well was deteriorating, allowing methane to accumulate in the house’s water supply, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Canonsburg-based Equitrans, a natural gas pipeline company, is facing one felony charge and two misdemeanor charges under Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law for failing to properly maintain the well and for not conducting an investigation after the explosion, as required by law.
State Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the charges, as recommended by a grand jury, Wednesday afternoon.
“Pennsylvania has a constitutional right to a safe and protected environment,” Henry said. “Every citizen deserves to feel safe in their own homes unaffected by the environmental hazards created by large corporations.”
Equitrans owned and operated the storage site, called the Pratt Storage Field. Such fields, often found in rock formations, depleted reservoirs or salt caverns, allow companies to store gas underground and withdraw it as needed — usually starting in the fall as temperatures drop.
The investigation found Equitrans had admitted in federal filings before the blast that Pratt field was losing gas and that wells within the site were leaking.
Equitrans is charged with prohibition against discharge of industrial waste, prohibition against other pollutions and two counts of unlawful conduct under the Clean Streams Law.
In a statement, Equitrans said it “fully cooperated with the grand jury investigation, and we believe the substantial operational evidence that we presented to the state factually demonstrates that Equitrans’ operations were not the cause of the incident.”
“We are reviewing the complaint in its entirety and will fully defend our position in this matter,” Equitrans said Wednesday.
A tragic anniversary
Five years ago, Cody White was home with his girlfriend and his son preparing to celebrate Halloween.
According to the investigation, White turned on the stove to cook a meal.
The house immediately exploded.
White was thrown over the kitchen table and into the refrigerator, where he was knocked unconscious. When he came to, he rushed to free his son and girlfriend, Samantha Adamson, who were trapped by debris.
“The house was engulfed in flames all around them as they were fighting to get out,” Henry said Wednesday. “All three of them miraculously were able to get out of that house.”
A neighbor called 911. The family was flown to a hospital in Pittsburgh.
“All three of them suffered severe burns on their bodies, and the recovery process for them since this has happened has been long, extremely painful and difficult,” Henry said. “Not only were they physically injured, they lost their entire house, everything they owned. Their dog, Levi, didn’t make it out.”
The family and two neighbors are pursuing a separate civil lawsuit against Equitrans in Greene County Common Pleas Court.
The investigation found that in previous federal filings before the explosion, Equitrans admitted the Pratt field was losing gas and that wells within the field were likely leaking. The company was required to file semi-annual reports on how they maintained the well for 10 years.
“But there was no additional followup or action required,” Henry said.
“The company even had a policy to add gel to the storage wells every few years to attempt to prevent corrosion within the storage well,” Henry said. “However, this protocol was seldom done.
“One Equitrans employee testified to the grand jury that wells that were due for service would often not be reached due to budgetary or personnel constraints,” Henry said.
After the blast, testing revealed a valve was leaking methane, the investigation found.
After the explosion, Henry said other operators, including Peoples Natural Gas, conducted their own investigations. But Equitrans did not, Henry said, despite being required to do so.
Benjamin Goodwin, an attorney representing the White family and two neighbors, said Wednesday’s announcement brings some relief.
“This has been a long, painful road for them without many answers,” Goodwin said. “I think this is the first step toward closure to understanding what happened to them that day.”
While the family eventually found a new home, they had to continue their mortgage payments on the destroyed property, Goodwin said.
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[1] Url:
https://triblive.com/local/regional/equitrans-faces-criminal-charges-in-connection-with-2018-greene-county-house-explosion/
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