Indy blast: 2 homes destroyed, more afire

[Divernan]

31. Inter and intra state natural gas delivery lines are ancient and crumbling.

There have been massive explosions in a number of states, caused by dangerously decaying cast iron gas lines, dating back a century. A large number of major, interstate natural gas lines criss cross under our towns and communities. Whether rusting cast iron which burst under pressure, or steel pipes not able to handle the freeze and thaw of weather cycle, there are multiple disasters waiting to happen. The article below details specific examples.


http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/ngas-f16.shtml
US: Three natural gas explosions, one fatal, in Ohio-Pennsylvania area
By James Brewer
16 February 2011
"In a public statement Chris Kozak, a spokesman for Columbia Gas in Toledo, Ohio, pointed out that a large number of major and interstate gas lines pass through the Ohio area. He said that if one of those lines goes down or explodes “an entire community could be destroyed.” He said that the old-style steel pipes, like the ones in Allentown, are not able to handle the “thaw and freeze or the ebb and flow of the ground” as well as the new-style flexible pipes, which are made of plastic and are less likely to crack.

"However, a large-scale examination of infrastructure, i.e., a serious and in-depth emergency investigation and upgrading of the gas delivery infrastructure, is precisely what is required. The lack of regulation of the private companies who control public utilities for profit has led to a state of affairs where the natural gas pipelines that service the entire country are old, outdated and decaying.

"The devastating blast in the California neighborhood of San Bruno last September brought to light a disgraceful and corrupt system run by utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. (PG&E), in which public funds designated for the upgrading of the dangerously decayed gas pipelines were pocketed by the company. Residents had been complaining of a strong smell of gas for weeks before the fatal explosion.