Natural Gas Explosion at Murray State University

On June 28^th, NBC News reported a natural gas explosion on the campus at Murray State University.  According to the report, a dormitory building known as the Richmond Residential College, sustained heavy damage and injured at least one employee.  Since the incident occurred, no news reports have been issued with regard to exactly where the gas leak was located, ie, whether the leak was inside the building or outside; upstream or downstream of the gas meter.  The location of the gas leak is significant because it served to indicate whether the leak was the fault of gas line installers or servicing personnel since the building was constructed in 2009 OR the fault of an aging gas line infrastructure that was the responsibility of the local natural gas provider.  If installers or servicing personnel had been working on the line and failed to adequately test for leaks, then the fault would lie with them.  However, if the gas supply line failed, then the gas company (or the owner of the line) is most likely at fault.  If this is what happened, then this becomes another example of how an aging gas line is neglected and becomes a serious danger to those who use the fuel that is piped to their homes and businesses.  The sale of natural gas is a business – everyone knows that.  Because it is a business, the business also has expenses, one of which would be the expensive replacement of line segments as they reach the end of their useful life.  Natural gas pipelines are not all the same size.  Some are much larger and require thicker walls depending on the pressure within.  The pressure that has to be contained is a factor that has to be considered in establishing the useful life of the pipe.  But, when decisions are made (by management) that extend the use of pipe beyond the expected life, that’s when people and property are put in harm’s way.  The company’s and their managing personnel that utilize this kind of asset management must be held accountable.  One only has to do a little bit of research on the internet to find that there have been a number of explosions in recent years, not only in the natural gas industry but, in the petroleum industry as well.  A little more research and one will find that gas line age can vary from 20 to 50 plus years.  Infrastructure in the United States is important and part of that infrastructure depends on maintaining our natural gas lines.

California Gas Line Explosion

Earlier this year, one of the local television stations in the Nashville Tennessee area reported on a gas explosion in a residential neighborhood. (The story can be found on our website at www.rjhill.com – click on WSMV I Team.) In that report, the gas company denied any wrongdoing even though the line was clearly their responsibility. One of the things that came out of that investigation was that the age of the pipe was approximately 20 years old at the time of the explosion. With miles and miles of pipeline, the gas company has the responsibility for making sure that the line is safe and not leaking. Safety is an obvious issue and it is in the gas company’s best interest not to have to pay for property damage and personal injury as a result of an explosion. Now, we are hearing about another gas explosion, this time in San Bruno. It has been reported that the line involved was installed in 1948 and was a 30 inch line that was classified as a high risk. Why then, do gas utility companies, let their gas lines get to the point where public safety is compromised? Surely, they consider human life more important than their pipelines. Is the economics such that the replacement of aging pipelines is more expensive than paying for property damage, personal injury and wrongful death claims? Is keeping the gas company profitable more important than spending money on pipeline improvements? The public needs to know.