Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CI Boom 2012
CI Boom 2012
CI Boom 2012
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Table of Contents, thru level 3 Indianapolis 2012 Nov 10 Explosion Summary ................................................................. 2 Damage Estimates....................................................................................................... 3 Mapping ...................................................................................................................... 3 Prosecutor Statement ...................................................................................................... 4 Indy Speculations and Investigations.............................................................................. 4 Shirley Home Suspicions............................................................................................ 5 Gas Explosion can do this much damage ....................................................................... 7 Aftermath, Immediate ..................................................................................................... 8 Pets.............................................................................................................................. 8 Al Mac Nov 25 tentative conclusions ............................................................................. 8 Great Local Indy Sources.................................................................................................. 10 News media in Indianapolis vicinity......................................................................... 10 Notable CI disasters 2012 ................................................................................................. 11 2012 March 22 GAO report on Pipeline safety ........................................................ 14 2012 April 20 DOT Secretary on pipeline modernization........................................ 14 2012 June CO......................................................................................................... 15 2012 June 17 2010 San Bruno NTSB follow-up ................................................... 15 2012 July 10 NTSB on 2010 Marshall Mi Enbridge Oil Spill .................................. 16 Safety issues with 2010 July Enbridge Oil Spill....................................................... 17 NTSB Recommendations re: Enbridge Oil Spill in Marshall Mi ............................. 18 New Recommendations ........................................................................................ 18 Reiterated Recommendation................................................................................. 20 2012 July 18 2010 San Bruno Organization Accident follow-up.............................. 20 2012 Aug 3 Corning NY Do-it-yourself Gas Explosion ....................................... 21 2012 Aug 15 Fort Lupton Co Gas Explosion ........................................................ 21 2012 Aug 23 pipeline sabotaged............................................................................ 21 2012 Aug 25 Lorain Oh ......................................................................................... 21 2012 Aug 27 Los Angeles CA Gas Explosion....................................................... 22 2012 Oct 12 Castle Rock Co Gas Explosion ......................................................... 22 2012 Oct-Nov Super Storm Sandy Chaos ............................................................. 23 2012 Oct 20 White Van of Indy investigation .......................................................... 24 2012 Oct 27 Saybrook IL Home Explodes ............................................................ 24 2012 Oct 30 Columbus OH Home Explodes, Flat Top WV ................................. 24
1
http://www.scribd.com/doc/114094060/Indy-Boom
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
2012 Oct 31 La Jolla CA Home Explodes............................................................. 24 2012 Nov Boston MA study .................................................................................. 24 2012 Nov 10 Sat Indianapolis Residential Gas explosion ......................................... 25 Nov 11 Sun ............................................................................................................... 25 Nov 12 Mon .............................................................................................................. 26 Nov 13 Tu ................................................................................................................. 26 Nov 15 Thu ............................................................................................................... 26 Nov 19 Mon Indy explosion was no accident........................................................ 27 Nov 20 Tues Indy + Ut + Id................................................................................... 27 Nov 21 Wed In, NJ ................................................................................................ 28 Nov 22 Thu ............................................................................................................... 29 2012 Nov 23 Fri Springfield MA Gas Explosion ...................................................... 29 Springfield vicinity News media .................................................................................. 31 Nov 24 Sat - MA....................................................................................................... 31 Nov 25 Sun Springfield boom = mislabeling accident .......................................... 31 Nov 26 Mon - Indy ................................................................................................... 32 Nov 27 Tuesday Indy + Va.................................................................................... 32 Nov 28 Wed Ks + In .............................................................................................. 33 Nov 30 Fri Ma + In ................................................................................................ 33 Dec 1 Sat - Ca ........................................................................................................... 33 Dec 3 Mon - Indy...................................................................................................... 34 Dec 05 Wed DCP Tx ............................................................................................. 34 Dec 06 Thu - Tx........................................................................................................ 34 Dec 11 Tues - Sissonville WV...................................................................................... 34 Dec 13 Th - Indy ....................................................................................................... 37 Dec 20 - Indy ............................................................................................................ 37 Dec 21 Indy Arrests ............................................................................................... 37 Dec 24 Mon In, Tx.................................................................................................... 39 Dec 27 Thursday Texas Propane .............................................................................. 39 Dec 29 NRDC ........................................................................................................... 39 Dec 31 Monday Mn, Gulf of Mex ......................................................................... 39 Continued in more documents .......................................................................................... 40
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
All area residents now accounted for, according to some news stories, where other early stories list specific persons not yet located (e.g. boyfriend of some woman who was out of town at time of explosion). Many residents fled in pajamas. Massive evacuation via IndyGo buses. Red Cross served initial needs of the community; area churches added to relief effort; other NGOs arrived, such as the Salvation Army.
Damage Estimates
Thanks to #indyexplosion then 2 alarm fire 11.10 pm Sat Nov-10: 120+ homes affected; 3 houses -- 8343, 8349 and 8355 Fieldfare Way -- reduced to charred foundations; 5 homes obliterated beyond recovery; 36 homes, with critical damage, may need to be demolished; 12 homes both unfit for occupancy and unsafe for homeowners to collect personal belongings, until they are stabilized; 19 homes unfit for occupancy, but homeowners escorted inside to collect what they can; 29 homes uninhabitable until major repairs; 8 homes habitable but seriously damaged. See time line for constantly revised estimates of numbers of homes in various conditions. Devastation for blocks, around 8349-8415 Fieldfare Way, a Richmond Hill middle-class subdivision of one and two story, brick faced, homes off Sherman Avenue, south of Stop 11 Road Damage estimated $ 4.4 million, and counting.2
Mapping
I have seen articles describing the color codes, and I have seen maps with homes with colors, but no explanations. Homes color coded without explanation. http://www.wthr.com/category/251036/southeast-side-explosion-map Green, Yellow, Orange, Red. Before & After views http://www.indystar.com/interactive/article/99999999/NEWS/121112021/ 8343 Field Fare Way = Glenn and Gloria Olvey 8349 Field Fare Way = Mrs. Shirley and 12 year old daughter, not home at time of explosion. Mr. Shirley speculates an incorrectly repaired furnace could be the cause. Many professionals explain how the Shirley speculations could not possibly be true, but authorities finally trace the source of the explosion to the Shirley home. The true explanation may be other than their speculations.
http://www.wthr.com/story/20118850/estimate-on-indianapolis-blast-damage-up-to-44m
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Prosecutor Statement
The full statement from Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry at Nov 19 Monday evening's press conference:3 "We are here this evening to provide an update regarding the explosion which occurred in a residence on Fieldfare Way on Saturday evening, November 10th. As you are all aware, Jennifer and John Longworth died as a result of that explosion and their funeral was today. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family, those injured in the explosion, and the families who lost homes and property as a result of the explosion. While the fire investigation has been progressing, there has been a parallel investigation, not solely focusing on the cause of the explosion but focusing on individuals who may have been responsible once accidental causes were eliminated. That investigation has consisted of numerous interviews with various individuals as well as execution of a number of search warrants and is being conducted jointly by the IMPD4 and the MCPO.5 Based upon those interviews and results of those search warrants, that investigation is now considered an active criminal homicide investigation. We have been advised that Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case. Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker of ATF 6 has authorized a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. While details of the homicide investigation cannot be released at this time we are asking that anyone with information about the explosion contact Crime Stoppers. Lastly, if anyone has information about a white van seen in the Richmond Hill subdivision the afternoon of November 10 and information about the occupants of that van, we ask that such information be communicated to Crime Stoppers as well."
http://www.indystar.com/article/20121119/NEWS/121119044/Statement-from-Prosecutor-Terry-CurryRichmond-Hill-explosion http://www.indystar.com/article/20121119/NEWS/121119040/Authorities-call-Richmond-Hill-explosiona-homicide-case-seek-details-on-white-van?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|LIFE10 http://www.wthr.com/story/20140143/indianapolis-explosion-investigated-as-criminal-homicide 4 IMPD = Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept 5 MCPO = Marion County Prosecutors Office. 6 ATF = Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (federal government)
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
which other people call a conspiracy theory, such as: methane from fracking; HAARP; the little green or grey men. Other wild speculations include: terrorism; arson, fire works, drone strike, meteorite explosion overhead; would-be terrorist trying to make a bomb, and messing it up. Power and other utilities cut off to entire sub-division, as a precaution. Sunday Nov-11, Indy Dept of Building Code Enforcement assessed safety of homes affected. Many built around 2001. ATF called in to help with the investigation. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and federal Department of Transportation, which have oversight over pipelines, are also sending investigators. People in the community have speculations, which authorities are working thru to prove or disprove. Mayor Greg Ballard said investigators have ruled out: a bomb; a methamphetamine lab; and an airplane crash. Citizens Gas and Energy not yet know if natural gas explosion. People usually smell gas when there is a leak, the utility had not received any calls from people smelling gas in that area. Utility workers have been inspecting gas mains in the neighborhood but so far have detected no leaks. Indianapolis Homeland Security Chief Gary Coons said that because the house where the explosion occurred was unoccupied all day, there would have been no one home to smell leaking gas, if in fact that was the cause. Public Safety Director Troy Riggs said the search for answers could take some time and investigators will treat the area as a crime scene until they rule out foul play. Meanwhile, he said officials are in the process of setting up an information center in the neighborhood where members of the media and affected residents can go get updates. Some initial dispatcher reports, and 911 callers, thought it was a gas explosion, plane crash, earthquake, or other guesses, but authorities now say investigation will figure out true cause. TV news said low # victims near center of explosion due to homes vacant thru foreclosure. We know from other stories, that tenants who can pay rent are often evicted when foreclosure, so the bank has lower costs for maintenance and insurance, then some empty homes become populated with criminal elements, so how about neighborhood liability?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57548984/deadly-indianapolis-explosion-may-not-be-tied-tofaulty-furnace-expert-cautions/ 8 http://www.indy.gov/eGov/City/dps/Pages/home.aspx
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
for the house at the center of the explosion, compared to other homes in recent days, although Citizens Energy Group said they are not confirming that.9 It was unclear to me if this story was about the Shirley home, or one nearby. But later news made it clear that authorities believe the explosion began at the Shirley home, that it was not an accident, but it was not caused by the occupants of that home.10 Mr. John Shirley, co-owner of one house that exploded, next door to the home of secondgrade teacher Jennifer Longworth, said Monday that a problem furnace could be at fault. It had supposedly been fixed, shortly before the explosion, under the supervision of Mrs. Montserrate Shirley, and her jack-of-all-trades boyfriend, Mark Leonard. We do not yet know for sure what outfit allegedly did that maintenance. However, Mrs. Shirley, who lived in the house, with their child, had a protective order against Mr. Shirley, so take divorce hostility into consideration when considering the validity of Mr. Shirley speculating that Mrs. Shirley may have not got it fixed properly. Mr. Leonard later said nothing happened with the furnace, that the problem was with the thermostat, which he replaced. Mr. Shirley had got the story wrong, because the 12 year old daughter had called Dad to say they were now staying in a hotel, until the furnace could get fixed. Then there were the stories of the child smelling gas, which could have led Dad to suspect improper diagnosing of the problems, and incomplete fixing. Some people in the Furnace business claim Mr. Shirleys speculations to be highly unlikely, while others point at the rise of do-it-yourself people who lack the credentials to do it safely.11 Professional investigators found Mr. Shirley story to be highly unlikely, 12 but it seems to have captured the attention of news media world wide. Mrs Monseratte Shirley has denied that she did anything wrong. The reason her 12 year old daughter Brooke, and boyfriend Mark Leonard had to go stay at a hotel when the furnace would not turn on, was because the thermostat was broken and had to be replaced, she says. 13 The couple was away at a Lawrenceburg casino at the time of the blast. The daughter was staying with a friend, and the family's cat was being boarded. 14 News media was told a member of one family had smelled gas in the house, but Citizens Gas says no one reported this. If you smell gas, and dont report it, does that open you up
9
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
to liability in a law suit, assuming you live long enough after being so stupid? If you smell gas, get out of the house, and phone the gas company from outside of the home, stay outside until the gas company says it is safe to go back in.15 Brooke Shirley, the 12 year old girl, had told her mother for several weeks, that she was smelling gas, but the mother, and mothers boyfriend, could not smell it. 16 Do children have better sense of smell, and more imagination? I know that people who smoke, and have colds, cannot smell as well as when they have healthy noses. Randall Cable, attorney for the girl's mother, said: "It was the kid saying, 'Mom, I smell something funny. It kind of smelled like gas.' " Cable said the daughter smelled gas in and around the garage and the home's laundry room. If it turns out that a gas leak at this house did in fact cause the explosion, will this alter legal liabilities? Your kid claims to smell gas, but rest of family does not, so instead of keeping this a secret within the family, you are obligated to inform higher authorities, the gas company or 911, who can then use instruments more sensitive than the familys adult noses, to find out the truth, before 100+ homes in the neighborhood are placed at risk. Heres what Mrs. Montserrate Shirley has been telling the news media: "Everybody asked me everything. I am just so, I have been taking medications. I went to the doctor. I am taking anti-depressant medication, taking Xanax...I am a nurse. I cannot sleep. I don't eat. Everybody has been asking me questions, you know, and it is just like, the people lost their lives, I lost my house, everybody lost their house. It's devastating and people keep asking me questions like I know something. I don't know nothing. I just left my house like we always do," said Shirley.17
15
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
and something to ignite the explosion, which John Shirley speculates was the allegedly malfunctioning furnace, not properly repaired.
Gas explosions have leveled neighborhoods before, including a 2011 explosion that killed five in Allentown, Pa., and a blast in 2010 in San Bruno, California, which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. Both of those cases were tied to gas pipelines.19 Authorities now believe the explosion was caused by something done at the Shirley house, but by perpetrators other than the occupants of that house. We must wait for more info to come out of the investigation, before all of this can be made clear.
Aftermath, Immediate
Residents allowed to return to homes with least structural damage, there is a curfew. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. residents are asked to be inside their homes for safety and incident scene preservation (easier to prevent looting, and discourage gawkers). Many residents no longer have homes to be inside of. Richmond Hill residents, wanting to get back in their homes as quickly as possible, could meet Indy Dept of Code Enforcement representatives at Southport Presbyterian Church, 7525 McFarland Blvd., 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday Nov-12. Range of topics were to include walkthroughs of damaged structures to short- and long-term solutions for occupancy; insurance; demolition procedures. Media advisory about this: http://www.indy.gov/eGov/City/DCE/Documents/2012%20docs/2012%20PRESS%20RE LEASES/MA%2011%2011%2012Department%20of%20Code%20Enforcement%20to%20Hold%20Informational%20Meet ings%20for%20Displaced%20Residents%20on%20Citys%20South%20Side.pdf
Pets
After 200+ residents of the community were evacuated, some pets were found wandering the neighborhood, police tried to reunite them with their families, but now they are at animal shelters. Heres links to where they are waiting for their families to pick them up.20 If they are not picked up within 10 days, they may be euthanized.
19
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Disaster Avoidance collection on Google Drive Documents. 22 I have uploaded a revised edition of my notes on the recent gas explosion in Indianapolis, which is now a criminal investigation (someone caused it to happen), but there is also the issue of a child smelling it for weeks, telling her mother, then adults in the household choosing to not believe her, instead of reporting it to authorities. I added info about the explosion downtown Springfield Ma, which is an accident, due to gas company error, but there is also the issue of people smelling the gas for months, and instead of reporting it, using deodorizer to cover up the smell. Several stories in news media and social media quoted people claiming that the Indy explosion was too powerful to be caused by a gas explosion, so I added info about the San Bruno California pipe line explosion, which many sources claim was the worst in the USA. I no longer believe this, considering the New London Texas school explosion to be the worst I have read about so far, in the USA, where 425 children and teachers died. Worst should not be most people dead, or most buildings demolished, rather it should be the most human errors, because we are not applying lessons learned. The same kind of stupidity again and again is getting a lot of people injured, and a lot of buildings demolished. Look at how often there is a disaster in a weather front, which authorities claim was a freak event, and weather forecast people say was entirely normal. Look how often the police raid the wrong address (thousands of times in America), seriously maiming totally innocent persons, then authorities say it was a freak one in a million error. I saw my school teacher sister over Thanksgiving. I asked her about the state-of-art of driver education, because of the epidemic of drivers not stopping for school buses, hitting the children, then claiming they did not know that school buses are rolling traffic lights. Driver education is no longer taught in US secondary schools, because of budget cuts. There is a common theme that most every disaster is said to be the worst ever, or the worst in 100 years. We are now getting 100 year events every 3 to 5 years. People wrote that the Aurora theater shooting was the worst massacre in US history, but it is easy to search for massacres of American Indians in US history and find several far worse, let alone events labeled as war crimes. Ken Webster observed:23
22
Disaster Avoidance collection: https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B9euafJH4bZMTA0YTM0YzktNTI0YS00NjVhLTg5NTItY2RiZjhiM2MzODkw/edit Some people might also be interested in my Drone Info collections: http://www.scribd.com/my_document_collections/3807680 and https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B9euafJH4b-ZLWR0bmZLS3d5OVk/edit 23 https://plus.google.com/u/0/108609031221581881497/about He has worked in Oil & Gas Companies Mainly in R&D, Engineering & Marketing, mainly as a Mechanical Engineer, Engineering Manager & Marketing Specialist
10
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Usually natural gas explosions don't cause large scale ensuing flames because the fuel is combusted in such a short duration of time. A short duration combustion of that magnitude also creates an oxygen void in the region which is somewhat prohibitive for most other combustibles to ignite. That is an interesting observation, especially given that in Indianapolis, fire fighters had to deal with several homes afire.
10
11
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
FOX affiliate Fox59 in Indianapolis.29 PBS affiliate WFYI in Indianapolis. 93.1 radio WIBC in Indianapolis.30 WTHR in Indianapolis.31 News media in major cities nearest Indianapolis In, such as: Chicago Il; Cincinnati Oh; Columbus Oh; Dayton Oh; Detroit Mi;32 Evansville In; Fort Wayne In; Lexington Ky; Louisville Ky; Springfield Il; St Louis Mo; Toledo Oh. Google News Fort Wayne Indiana offers: Go to www.journalgazette.net/newsletter and pick the subjects you care most about. We'll deliver your customized daily news report at 3 a.m. Fort Wayne time, right to your email.
11
12
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
overwhelmed with data and alarms. The companies need systems to wisely manage the data and alarms, such as color coding, and the personnel need good training in interpreting what the data and alarms are telling them. Many disasters occur for lack of such support. Enbridge 2010 July Oil Spill
12
13
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
o 2012 Nov = Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) fines Vectren $100,000.00 and demands safety improvements, so this not happen again. Organizational Incompetence see Systemic failures Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) shows up in multiple serious incidents, with an associated record of warnings, which apparently were not heeded in time to avoid the incidents. o 2008 Dec 24 Rancho Cordova Ca Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Explosion, Leak Release, and Ignition of Natural Gas. o 2010 Sep 9 San Bruno Ca gas pipeline explosion and fire. Follow-up info on San Bruno disaster. o 2011 Aug 30 NTSB summary report. o 2012 June and July o 2012 Dec 1 Stockton Ca gas pipeline ruptures Pipeline maintenance without safety procedures can be fatal. o 2012 June near Durango Colorado, that happened. Sissonville WV natural gas explosion 2012 Dec 11 o 4 homes destroyed o I-77 had to be shut down for a while, thanks to an 800 foot section of the highway damaged, plus smoke with the fog sabotaging highway visibility. o It took the company over an hour to shut off the gas feeding into the fire. o NTSB found pipes dying of old age. Springfield gas explosion 2012 Nov 23 o It destroyed 2 buildings, damaged 62 buildings,, including 150 residential units, broke windows up to 3 blocks away. No one killed but 18+ injured. Some of the damaged buildings may have to be demolished. o Several corporate failures led to this disaster. o Witnesses smelled gas for weeks but no one reported this to authorities. Management, at one of the destroyed buildings, used deodorant to cover up the smell. o The utility company records were inaccurate. o Firefighters organized evacuation because of the reported gas smell leak, then later let people return, before the explosion. Systemic failures at companies mis-managing fuels, such as pipelines, as if the organization lacks the credentials to meet its heavy responsibilities Examples: Counterfeit and defective parts in inventory, and the company oblivious to this happening, or the risks involved. o See Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Crack defect detection and remediation o 2010 July Enbridge Oil Spill Dispatching people, to deal with some crisis, who lacked the training and tools to do anything constructive about it. 2010 July Enbridge oil poured into Kalamazoo river, 2010 Sep PG&Es San Bruno incident. Inaccurate record keeping. o 2010 Sep PG&Es San Bruno incident. Critical Infrastructure disasters 2012
13
14
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Mapping system needed so company workers and first responders know what pipes are where, their age, when last inspected, what they are carrying. This was lacking: o 2010 Sep PG&Es San Bruno incident. Pipeline leak is fueling a fire and explosions. Pipeline company seems to take forever to shut down the fuel for the fire. 2010 Sep PG&Es San Bruno incident. Witnesses smell the distinct odor of a leak. They fail to notify authorities. The leak ultimately leads to a disaster. o Multiple stories of gas smelled, and no action taken by the witnesses, except in one case a company used deodorant to cover up the odor.
34 35
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-388 http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/589514.pdf 36 I downloaded, naming it: US Senate Pipeline NiSource 2013 Jan.
14
15
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
2012 June CO
There was an explosion at a natural gas compression station in southwestern Colorado, 15 miles east of Durango. Federal regulators found that a valve on the pipeline was left closed. That caused pressure to build up quickly, rupturing the pipeline. 1 dead 2 injured An Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citation faults BP and the contractors for not having safety procedures in place before the maintenance work began. In 2013, BP, Halliburton and the other contractors were each fined $7,000 -- the maximum allowed under the law.37
37 38
15
16
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
work. In other links I have shared,40 there is evidence that the vast majority of US pipelines are dying of old age, with leaks all over the place. As I have stated elsewhere, I believe all community political leaders should be informed about pipelines running through their area, hazardous materials on railroads and other transportation through their area, and be copied on inspection oversight reports.
Deficient integrity management procedures, which allowed well-documented crack defects in corroded areas to propagate until the pipeline failed. Inadequate training of control center personnel, which allowed the rupture to remain undetected for 17 hours and through two startups of the pipeline. Insufficient public awareness and education, which allowed the release to continue for nearly 14 hours, after the first notification of an odor to local emergency response agencies. Contributing to the accident was the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) weak regulation for assessing and repairing crack indications, as well as PHMSA's ineffective oversight of pipeline integrity management programs, control center procedures, and public awareness. Contributing to the severity of the environmental consequences were: (1) Enbridge's failure to identify and ensure the availability of well-trained emergency responders with sufficient response resources,
40 41
16
17
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
(2) PHMSA's lack of regulatory guidance for pipeline facility response planning, and (3) PHMSA's limited oversight of pipeline emergency preparedness that led to the approval of a deficient facility response plan.
The inadequacy of Enbridge's integrity management program to accurately assess and remediate crack defects. Enbridge's crack management program relied on a single in-line inspection technology to identify and estimate crack sizes. Enbridge used the resulting inspection reports to perform engineering assessments without accounting for uncertainties associated with the data, tool, or interactions between cracks and corrosion. A 2005 Enbridge engineering assessment and the company's criteria for excavation and repair showed that six crack-like defects ranging in length from 9.3 to 51.6 inches were left in the pipeline, unrepaired, until the July 2010 rupture. The failure of Enbridge's control center staff to recognize abnormal conditions related to ruptures. Enbridge's leak detection and supervisory control and data acquisition systems generated alarms consistent with a ruptured pipeline on July 25 and July 26, 2010; however, the control center staff failed to recognize that the pipeline had ruptured until notified by an outside caller more than 17 hours later. During the July 25 shutdown, the control center staff attributed the alarms to the shutdown and interpreted them as indications of an incompletely filled pipeline (known as column separation). On July 26, the control center staff pumped additional oil into the rupture pipeline for about 1.5 hours during two startups. The control center staff received many more leak detection alarms and noted large differences between the amount of oil being pumped into the pipeline and the amount being delivered, but the staff continued to attribute these conditions to column separation. An Enbridge supervisor had granted the control center staff permission to start up the pipeline for a third time just before they were notified about the release. The inadequacy of Enbridge's facility response plan to ensure adequate training of the first responders and sufficient emergency response resources allocated to respond to a worst-case release. The first responders to the oil spill were four Enbridge employees from a local pipeline maintenance shop in Marshall, Michigan. Their efforts were focused downstream along the Talmadge Creek rather than near the immediate area of the rupture. The first responders neglected to use the culverts along the Talmadge Creek as underflow dams to minimize the spread of oil, and they deployed booms unsuitable for the fast-flowing waters. Further, the oil spill response contractors, identified in Enbridge's facility response plan, were unable to immediately deploy to the rupture site and were over 10 hours away. Inadequate regulatory requirements and oversight of crack defects in pipelines. Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 195.452(h) fails to provide clear requirements for performing an engineering assessment and remediation of crack-like defects on a pipeline. In the absence of prescriptive regulatory requirements, Enbridge applied its own methodology and margins of safety. Enbridge chose to use a lower 17 Critical Infrastructure disasters 2012
18
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
margin of safety for cracks than for corrosion when assessing crack defects. PHMSA expects pipeline operators to excavate all crack features; however, PHMSA did not issue any findings about the methods used by Enbridge in previous inspections. Inadequate regulatory requirements for facility response plans under 49 CFR 194.115, which do not mandate the amount of resources or recovery capacity required for a worst-case discharge. In the absence of such requirements, Enbridge interpreted the level of oil response resources required under PHMSA's three-tier response time frame, resulting in a lack of adequate oil spill recovery equipment and resources in the early hours of the first response. By contrast, the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations specify effective daily response capability for each of the three tiers for oil spill response planning. PHMSA's inadequate review and approval of Enbridge's facility response plan that failed to verify that the plan content was accurate and timely for an estimated worst-case discharge of 1,111,152 gallons. PHMSA's facility response program oversaw 450 facility response plans with 1.5 full-time employees, which is a lower staffing commitment than comparable response plan review programs carried out by the EPA and the Coast Guard. PHMSA and other Federal agencies receive funding from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to cover operational, personnel, enforcement, and other related program costs. As a result of this investigation, the NTSB makes safety recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, PHMSA, Enbridge, the American Petroleum Institute, the Pipeline Research Council International, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the National Emergency Number Association. The NTSB also reiterates a previous recommendation to PHMSA.
New Recommendations
To the U.S. Secretary of Transportation: Audit the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's onshore pipeline facility response plan program's business practices, including reviews of response plans and drill programs, and take appropriate action to correct deficiencies. (P-12-1) Allocate sufficient resources as necessary to ensure that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's onshore pipeline facility response plan program meets all of the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. (P-12-2) To the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration: (PHMSA) Revise Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 195.452 to clearly state (1) when an engineering assessment of crack defects, including environmentally assisted cracks, must be performed; 18 Critical Infrastructure disasters 2012
19
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
(2) the acceptable methods for performing these engineering assessments, including the assessment of cracks coinciding with corrosion with a safety factor that considers the uncertainties associated with sizing of crack defects; (3) criteria for determining when a probable crack defect in a pipeline segment must be excavated and time limits for completing those excavations; (4) pressure restriction limits for crack defects that are not excavated by the required date; and (5) acceptable methods for determining crack growth for any cracks allowed to remain in the pipe, including growth caused by fatigue, corrosion fatigue, or stress corrosion cracking as applicable. (P-12-3) Revise Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 195.452(h)(2), the "discovery of condition," to require, in cases where a determination about pipeline threats has not been obtained within 180 days following the date of inspection, that pipeline operators notify the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and provide an expected date when adequate information will become available. (P-12-4) Conduct a comprehensive inspection of Enbridge Incorporated's integrity management program after it is revised in accordance with Safety Recommendation P-12-11. (P-125) Issue an advisory bulletin to all hazardous liquid and natural gas pipeline operators describing the circumstances of the accident in Marshall, Michiganincluding the deficiencies observed in Enbridge Incorporated's integrity management program and ask them to take appropriate action to eliminate similar deficiencies. (P-12-6) Provide additional training to first responders to ensure that they (1) are aware of the best response practices and the potential consequences of oil releases and (2) receive practical training in the use of appropriate oil-containment and -recovery methods for all potential environmental conditions in the response zones. (P-12-14) Review and update your oil pipeline emergency response procedures and equipment resources to ensure that appropriate containment equipment and methods are available to respond to all environments and at all locations along the pipeline to minimize the spread of oil from a pipeline rupture. (P-12-15) Update your facility response plan to identify adequate resources to respond to and mitigate a worst-case discharge for all weather conditions and for all your pipeline locations before the required resubmittal in 2015. (P-12-16) To the American Petroleum Institute:
19
20
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Facilitate the development of a safety management system standard specific to the pipeline industry that is similar in scope to your Recommended Practice 750, Management of Process Hazards. The development should follow established American National Standards Institute requirements for standard development. (P-1217) To the Pipeline Research Council International: Conduct a review of various in-line inspection tools and technologiesincluding, but not limited to, tool tolerance, the probability of detection, and the probability of identificationand provide a model with detailed step-by-step procedures to pipeline operators for evaluating the effect of interacting corrosion and crack threats on the integrity of pipelines. (P-12-18) To the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Emergency Number Association: Inform your members about the circumstances of the Marshall, Michigan, pipeline accident and urge your members to aggressively and diligently gather from pipeline operators system-specific information about the pipeline systems in their communities and jurisdictions. (P-12-19)
Reiterated Recommendation
As a result of this accident investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board reiterates the following previously issued safety recommendation: Require operators of natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines and hazardous liquid pipelines to provide system-specific information about their pipeline systems to the emergency response agencies of the communities and jurisdictions in which those pipelines are located. This information should include pipe diameter, operating pressure, product transported, and potential impact radius. (P-11-8) UNQUOTE
42 43
20
21
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
As usual, top management claim they did not know this was going on. But stopping this kind of mistake is one of the purposes of a regular audit.
44
21
22
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
due to incorrect and misleading industry claims how the gas is supposed to smell.51
o When something unusual hits the news, and we start following updates, we find other similar events, which we might not have noticed, were we not following the other main event. Is the volume and frequency of these incidents unusual, state-of-art, suspicious?52 o As of Nov-24, It was evident from many news stories, that, without anyone calling the gas company, gas had been smelled in ample time in advance to avert disaster. o In the Indianapolis explosion, a 12 year old girl had smelled gas for weeks, and was not believed by adults in the same household, who chose not to call the gas company to be sure. o In the Springfield explosion, many workers smelled gas for months in advance, management used deodorant to cover up the odor, chose not to call the gas company, until someone called at the last minute. o So did anyone call the gas company in the Castle Rock incident? o Cause-Avoidance (see Labeling Causes chapter) practical via:
49
22
23
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
53 54
23
24
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
o Stairwells assume outside windows provide light, but that is not the reality when the power is out for a whole city. Internal corridors have emergency lighting for only 3 hours at most. o Some people do not evacuate for fear of looting, and they remember prior storms where they were told to evacuate, they dont think those were that bad, then say how bad could this get? as if it is a rhetorical question.
57
24
25
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
system. Six of these leaks exceeded the threshold above which explosions can occur, the researchers found.62
Nov 11 Sun
2.24 am IFD confirms 1 fatality. 3.24 am IFD confirms 2nd fatality. 11 am residents allowed back into 50 least damaged homes to collect belongings.65 Department of Public Works officials going from seriously damaged house to house. Investigators using a ladder truck with a cherry-picker bucket to survey the damage from up high. No one being allowed inside. 1 pm Relief Center moves from Mary Bryan Elementary School Gymnasium to Southport Presbyterian Church. 3 pm power had been restored on a case by case basis to habitable homes where the residents want to be home, and authorities verify that safe. Sunday afternoon, Indianapolis Department of (Building) Code Enforcement (DCE) told the media that inspectors have been through all 126 homes in the Richmond Hill neighborhood. Inspectors determined 5 homes were destroyed or suffered enough damage to require demolition. They say 26 more homes had
62
25
26
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
damage major enough that they are unsafe for occupants. Another 50 homes had minor damage. These numbers evolved in multiple updates to the media. 66 7 pm Candlelight vigil at Southwest Elementary School in Greenwood for victim Jennifer Longworth, who taught second grade at the school. She and her husband, John Dion Longworth, were believed to have died in the blast. Hundreds of people attended this. 8.30 pm Arson investigators, ATF, and Citizen Gas utility crews, still working at scene. NTSB arrived too late Sunday, to participate meaningfully, that day.
Nov 12 Mon
Greenwood Indiana schools on a two-hour delay Monday to give staff members a chance to prepare for how they will break the news to students. 8 am Indy Police Dept confirmed deaths of Jennifer L. Longworth, 36, and her husband, John D. Longworth, 34, and said their remains were found in the basement of their wiped out home at 8355 Fieldfare. A report from the Marion County coroner is needed to officially establish their identities. Glenn and Gloria Olvey had been rescued from the rubble of 8343 Field Fare Way home also destroyed. Between 8343 and 8355 is 8349 occupied by Mrs. Shirley and 12 year old daughter, neither home at time of explosion, which also destroyed their home. They recently had to have work done on a furnace, and Mr. Shirley speculated that work was not done properly, and may have been the cause of the disaster. 9.20 am Citizens Gas Energy utility reports they have been checking all the gas lines, and not found any problems yet.
Nov 13 Tu
Citizens Energy Spokesperson Sarah Holsapple confirms that Citizens Energy Group found no leaks in the gas main or individual gas lines that feed homes in the area where the blast occurred.67
Nov 15 Thu
Engineers or insurance adjusters have assessed most of the homes damaged late Saturday night, minus about a dozen that require structural bracing and another 11 near the core of the explosion, of which little remains.68 Coroner officially identifies the two people killed in the blast. Dental records confirmed that Jennifer L. Longworth and John Dion Longworth died in the explosion, according to a statement from Chief Deputy Coroner Alfie Ballew.69
66
26
27
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
70
http://www.indystar.com/article/20121119/NEWS/121119044/Statement-from-Prosecutor-Terry-CurryRichmond-Hill-explosion http://www.indystar.com/article/20121119/NEWS/121119040/Authorities-call-Richmond-Hill-explosiona-homicide-case-seek-details-on-white-van?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|LIFE10 http://www.wthr.com/story/20140143/indianapolis-explosion-investigated-as-criminal-homicide http://www.wthr.com/story/20142800/neighbors-mad-over-richmond-hill-announcement http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/video/video-prosecutor-says-explosion-now-a-homicide-investigation http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/residents-react-to-homicide-investigation http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/54595/Indianapolis-explosion-now-being-investigated-ashomicide.aspx?AreaID=2 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-officials-fatal-indianapolis-explosion-fire-nowhomicide-investigation-20121119,0,5051932.story http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ind-home-explosion-now-homicide-investigation-17764126 http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/11/explosion-indianapolis-even-scarier-now-its-homicidecase/59160/ 71 http://www.wthr.com/story/20131497/greenwood-school-closed-for-south-side-explosion-victims 72 http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/pets-wait-for-owners-after-south-side-explosion http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/ce98710da6794a42a9ce5120899283c4/US--IndianapolisExplosion-Cat http://www.indystar.com/article/20121127/OPINION03/211270332/5-Q-s-Daniel-T-Shackle 73 http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?ID=1823279 74 http://www.indystar.com/article/20121120/NEWS/121120036/Officials-suspect-gas-intentionallyreleased-into-home-center-Richmond-Hill-explosion?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|IndyStar.com
27
28
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Indy Authorities confirm that search warrants have been issued, many people questioned, no arrests yet. Officials have said they believe natural gas was involved in the explosion, they have ruled out an accident, and that they are focusing on appliances and humans, as the cause. They do not yet know how many people involved in the criminal conspiracy. 75 There are 15 heavily damaged homes, whose residents have limited return access, due to the unfinished investigation. With every major news event, there are people who use it to promote their business or charity, some legitimately, some in a crooked way. This Indy explosion is no exception to this rule. It's that time of year when having a working, running furnace is of the utmost importance. As usual, you need to do due diligence, before spending a lot of money on what may turn out to be a financial disaster for your pocket book, your home, and your compliance with government regulations.76 Meanwhile, a natural gas explosion around 10 am at the Dry Canyon natural gas processing facility near Price, Utah, damaged several buildings and sent two workers to the hospital with critical injuries.77 It was believed to be due to a rupture which began around 9 am.78 Also, a backhoe pierced a four-inch natural gas main, triggering a natural gas explosion in Lewiston, Idaho, which sent a tower of flame nearly 100 feet into the air, destroyed a nearby home and sent several people to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.79 o Cause-Avoidance (see Labeling Causes chapter) practical via: Utility Line Mapping Corporate Training
75
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-indianapolis-explosion-blast-not-accidental-prosecutor-says20121120,0,1679248.story http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/54397/Initial-findings-point-to-gas-leak-as-likely-cause-ofIndianapolis-blast.aspx?AreaID=2 76 http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/local-companies-may-be-taking-advantage-of-indianapolisexplosion 77 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1658 http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-11-20/2-workers-hurt-in-natural-gas-explosion-near-price http://fox13now.com/2012/11/20/explosion-at-gas-compressor-in-carbon-county/ 78 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1658 http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55330331-78/mills-gas-station-explosion.html.csp 79 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1658 http://www.firefighternation.com/article/news-2/flames-shoot-site-idaho-natural-gas-explosion http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/11/natural_gas_explosion_rattles.html 80 http://www.wibc.com/news/story.aspx?ID=1824187
28
29
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
33 homes will need to be demolished, 29 soon, 4 delayed until the investigation has completed. This represents approx 25% of the 125 Indy homes impacted by the blast. Investigators believe it was intentionally set and caused by natural gas. 81 Meanwhile, An explosion in Newark, New Jersey, on Nov. 21 destroyed one home, while fire damaged a nearby house, leaving one family homeless. Natural Gas is suspected.82 o I am assuming this was the same incident as in Gloucester Township New Jersey, where occupants narrowly escaped after what investigators believe: a gas line ruptured; causing an explosion; then a massive fire.
Nov 22 Thu
The parent-teacher organization started the Jennifer and Dion Longworth Memorial Award at Southwest Elementary School in Greenwood.83 Its first donation came from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. Over its first 10 years, the $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one of her former students once they graduate from Greenwood High School.84
81
29
30
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
to have a day care center, next door to a strip club ,86 unless it is for the kids of the strippers.87 The strip club was in the process of being evacuated, with Columbia Gas of Massachusetts investigating the source of the smell, when it blew, destroying two buildings, all windows in a three-block radius, and damaging others beyond repair, didn't kill anyone, but injured at least 18. Workers at the strip club had allegedly smelled gas for weeks, but this had not been promptly reported to authorities.88 Friday night, a dancer at the club told the Boston Globe that she had smelled gas in the building over the past four months. She said the clubs owner used deodorizers to mask the scent.89 o Although this would seem to indicate that the Strip Clubs negligence had major responsibility for the scale of the disaster, within a month later, Columbia Gas had paid out just over $1 million in cash advances and settlements.90 Maybe they will later sue the Strip Club to recover as much of this as the Strip Club and their insurance can pay for. o While state arson investigators later determined a Columbia employee responding to a report of a leak accidentally punctured a gas line which had been mismarked earlier, the leak had been in progress for months, until it became too strong to cover up any more, so Columbia Gas was notified, and their employee dispatched to the area. 4.20 pm, Firefighters responded to the scene because of a reported gas leak. 4.30 pm, authorities were beginning to let people return to buildings, evacuated during an investigation because of multiple calls reporting a smell of gas. 5.25 pm approx, the explosion, which damaged 62 buildings around the blast site, and 150 residential units. 7 pm approx, chaos at the area had quieted down. Three of the injured were gas workers, two were firefighters, and at least one was a police officer, according to hospital officials and the New England Gas Workers Association, a nonprofit that promotes gas safety. FOX says 11 of the injured were fire fighters.91
86 87
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061177136 https://plus.google.com/u/0/108007903544513887227/posts/1nhY6NK2YLU 88 http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2012/11/23/gas-blast-levels-mass-buildings-leasthurt/wYQAHmn0nLp5JV1GgUpK8L/story.html http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/11/23/springfield-explosion-injures-least-levels-stripclub/a7JbGz4S2QmmEcXPL1oPEO/story.html http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-gas-explosion-massachusetts20121123,0,5073752.story http://www.wral.com/gas-explosion-reported-in-downtown-springfield/11806499/ http://newsok.com/gas-blast-levels-mass.-buildings-at-least-18-hurt/article/feed/466628 89 http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/11/25/officials-announce-cause-explosion-that-destroyedspringfield-strip-club/CQqqF2sXhO6kqoTia7irGO/story.html 90 http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/downtown_recovering_a_month_af.html 91 http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/20174918/2012/11/24/building-inspectors-at-site-of-gas-blast-inspringfield
30
31
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
In other Springfield MA news, a man was caught leaving a toddler in a car, on black shopping Friday, while he went off to buy a TV set.92
Nov 24 Sat - MA
Investigators are not yet ready to definitively say what is the cause of the Springfield blast.94 See Nov-25. Maybe it is a matter of timing of news articles not up to date with everything else which is going on, and articles not making clear what is the date of this or that info. CNN says 40+ buildings damaged, in a 4 block radius in Springfield MA. FOX says 3 of those buildings will have to be demolished, and that 150+ residential units (some of them apartments) were affected by the blast. 95 On the streets surrounding the blast site, buildings have been tagged with red, yellow, and green signs.96 o Red = building is now condemned = 3 non-residential buildings. o Yellow = restricted use, not safe for habitation now, but the city believes they can be repaired = 24 buildings, with about 71 residential units. o Green = building did get an inspection, and nothing serious found, yet.
92 93
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/235561/288/Man-leaves-toddler-in-car-to-buy-television http://www.boston.com/ 94 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061177136 http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/11/24/officials-and-crews-continue-investigation-and-cleanupafter-explosion-downtown-springfield/a7fmO3ylwTd6jpdmnIKOSK/story.html http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8927844 95 http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/20174918/2012/11/24/building-inspectors-at-site-of-gas-blast-inspringfield 96 http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/11/24/officials-and-crews-continue-investigation-and-cleanupafter-explosion-downtown-springfield/a7fmO3ylwTd6jpdmnIKOSK/story.html 97 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061177197&pos=breaking http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/25/us-usa-explosion-springfield-idUSBRE8AO0BA20121125 98 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/25/us-usa-explosion-springfield-idUSBRE8AO0BA20121125
31
32
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
o State Fire Marshal Stephen Coans office said the blast at Scores Gentlemans Club occurred when a worker, from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts who was investigating a gas odor, accidentally punctured a high-pressure gas line at the foundation of the building. His examination appears to have been an appropriate distance from where older markings on the sidewalk indicated where the gas line was, the statement said. "However, the markings were incorrect and his metal probe inadvertently punctured the line. Coans office said the state Department of Public Utilities is now taking over the investigation.99 The count is now up to 42 buildings housing 115 residential units, damaged in the Springfield blast. Three buildings were immediately condemned, and 24 others require additional inspections by structural engineers to determine whether they are safe.100
99
32
33
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Nov 28 Wed Ks + In
A natural gas leak in rural Cowley County, Kansas, meant a five hour road closure, until it was safe to travel there again.105 The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) ordered Evansville In based Vectren to pay a $100,000.00 fine, and make safety improvements, due to a natural gas explosion Nov 2011 in New Albany In, which is just across the Ohio river from Louisville Ky. The blast destroyed a home and injured six people. The investigation found that crews for a subsidiary of Vectren damaged the gas line while doing drilling work and didn't alert emergency officials before the explosion over an hour later. Vectren provides natural gas service to about 700,000 customers across much of southern and central Indiana. Vectren says it has taken action to try to prevent something like this happening again. 106
Nov 30 Fri Ma + In
Natural Gas Watch reports on a study by the Conservation Law Foundation,107 regarding natural gas leaks in Massachusetts.108 o Aging infrastructure, leaky gas line pipes, means: o risk of explosion, wiping out homes and businesses; o massive waste, meaning higher prices for what's left; o environmental contamination. A natural gas distribution pipeline operated by Vectren109 had a leak, in Crawfordsville, Indiana, forcing a family from their home. The locals smelled gas around 8 pm, called Vectren, who told them to get out immediately, while Vectren investigates. Vectren called the local Fire Dept for help about 10 pm. By midnite the leak had been fixed, but the house needed to be cleared. The Red Cross arrived, and found a place for people to stay, while their house being cleared, then they were able to return home 10 am next day. Vectren also supplies the Evansville Indiana area, where I reside.110
Dec 1 Sat - Ca
A natural gas transmission pipeline owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric ruptured Saturday morning, Dec. 1, with a big noise, near Stockton, California, forcing the residents of a six-block area to evacuate their homes.111 They were allowed to return home around 11 am.
105
http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1658 http://www.newscow.net/story.php?StoryID=8113 106 http://www.whiotv.com/ap/ap/indiana/vectren-fined-100000-over-s-ind-gas-explosion/nTJGJ/ http://www.wdrb.com/story/20219326/company-ordered-to-pay-100000-over-natural-gas-explosion 107 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/CSF_fugitive_emissions_report.pdf 108 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1644 109 https://www.vectren.com/web/index.jsp 110 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1658 http://www.journalreview.com/news/article_c714d708-3cd8-11e2-b05b-001a4bcf887a.html 111 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1658 http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-stockton/Gas-leak-forces-evacuations-near-Stockton//12969936/17620468/-/item/1/-/hckwm5z/-/index.html
33
34
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Dec 06 Thu - Tx
The DCP explosion in Goldsmith Tx, and its aftermath, is now being investigated by:116 o The Texas Railroad Commissions Pipeline Safety Division. o West Texas Gas. o It is expected that the investigation will take 90 days, after which a report will be made public. Odessa Fire & Rescue says no injuries, no deaths. A welding shop burned down. Power was restored Thursday after noon, gas is expected to be restored before Friday.
112 113
http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?ID=1824440 http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/curry-explosion-probe-will-take-time http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/top-news/Crews-Contiue-Demolition-on-Indianapolis-Homes-181996911.html 114 http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/prosecutor-indianapolis-blast-investigation-a-painstakingprocess-no-timetable-for-arrests/2012/12/03/69e5d75c-3d8d-11e2-8a5c-473797be602c_story.html http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/curry-explosion-probe-will-take-time 115 http://www.newswest9.com/story/20283376/goldsmith-residents-react-after-gas-line-explosion 116 http://www.newswest9.com/story/20283376/goldsmith-residents-react-after-gas-line-explosion
34
35
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
always too early to know precise causes.117 However, see: preliminary NTSB info Jan 16; and Senate hearing Jan 28. o See Labeling Causes chapter. We do not yet know what caused the explosion. We do know that a delay in shutting off gas made disaster worse. Why cant fire depts have people trained in shutting off these gas lines? They would shut it down, and notify the company that they have done so, and why. Why cant personnel with the hardware and training to shut off these gas lines be delivered by fast helicopter to the disaster scenes? o Federal investigators said it took Columbia Gas Transmission more than an hour to manually shut off the gas that fueled Tuesdays inferno near Sissonville, about 15 miles from Charleston.118 We have been hearing this kind of story again and again, over many years, where the public utilities have failed to install equipment which would identify leaks, and remotely shut off gas flowing into the areas where a leak or fire has been identified as occurring. This should happen automatically when sensors detect a problem, and also should be doable from company offices. Instead, in these crises, we have to wait for the company to be notified, then send personnel to the scene to manually shut it down. Industry officials complain this safety feature is too expensive to install on the more than 2.6 million miles of pipeline already crisscrossing the U.S. o I-77 at Route 21 closed temporarily because of this disaster, by DOH.119 Drivers were cautioned about smoke mixed with fog in the area. The explosion severely damaged highways, including an 800 foot section of I77, near mile marker 113.5.. The flames were so hot that guard rails melted. o Fire was too fierce for fire dept to cope, reminiscent of San Bruno. o Four homes were utterly destroyed. o At least five structures were fire with flames shooting 50 to 90 feet into the sky.120 No deaths. o Meteorologists with WOWK 13 say a smoke plume from the fire stretches from Sissonville to Elkview and Clendenin.
117
http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1691 http://www.wtrf.com/story/20316402/explosion-in-sissonville-7441-teresa-lane-cedar-ridge-center-nursinghome-homes-fire http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/588276/Gas-line-explodes-in-Kanawha-County-structures-burning.html http://wvgazette.com/News/201212130022 118 http://www.theithacajournal.com/viewart/20121215/NEWS11/312150028/WV-gas-explosion-comesamid-line-shut-off-debate 119 DOH = Division of Highways. 120 Estimates, how high fire into sky, vary widely between different witnesses quoted.
35
36
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
o Early suspicions centered on a Columbia Gas natural gas pipeline, owned by NiSource Inc., parent of Columbia Gas. o A command center was been set up at Sissonville High School. o The state fire marshals office says Its one of thos e rare events that happens. Al Mac observations: It wont be rare for much longer, if our public utility infrastructure continues to die of old age. It might be rare for an individual city or region of a state, but over the entire USA, we have one of these events 4 times every 3 days. o NTSB joins investigation.121 The pipeline, which exploded, had corrosion which thinned the pipe in places to about a third of the thickness it ought to have been. A mitigation to identify such pipes, so that they can be repaired or replaced, which the NTSB has recommended in the past, is something called "smart pigs," which are metal tools that travel through a pipeline to check the pipe for irregularities, including cracks and corrosion.122 Columbia Gas Transmission representatives say this solution was not practical for the section of pipeline, which exploded, because it did not have valves on it that would accept the pig. So why is that? Is it another example of the industry saying that safety is too expensive to implement? According to a recent NTSB report, 61% of US pipelines cannot physically accommodate pigs and it could cost companies about $12 billion to retrofit the nation's pipes to make them do so. 123 Should that be prioritized where pipelines intersect major human population centers? o The natural gas company had reimbursed more than $231k, by a month after the disaster, to first responders, and highway repair efforts. 124 o PHMSA has issued a corrective order.125 The pipeline, which ruptured, was decades old, installed in 1951, expanded in 1955, then over time various pieces added, replaced, most recently in 1992. The piece which exploded, is now believed to have been made in 1967.
121 122
NTSB = National Transportation Safety Board. http://www.dailymail.com/News/201212170174 123 http://www.dailymail.com/News/201212170174 124 http://woub.org/2013/01/15/agencies-getting-reimbursed-cost-gas-pipeline-explosion-response 125 PHMSA = Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration http://www.statejournal.com/story/20404252/failed-pipeline-in-sissonville-decades-old-corrective-orderissued http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/d56b3c0f08054209a904a4f2bbb0b302/VA--Pipeline-Explosion http://58wchs.com/common/more.php?m=15&r=1&item_id=181
36
37
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
The corrective order requires Columbia to create a plan returning to restricted operation. It will also require ongoing special attention directed toward the pipeline to encourage future safety. o The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will examine pipeline safety during a field hearing January 2013 in West Virginia.126
Dec 13 Th - Indy
According to The Republic of Columbus Indiana,127 and other news media:128 o The Indianapolis Department of Public Safety says it has spent more than $300,000 on manpower and other expenses investigating the Nov 10 explosion which killed a couple, and decimated their neighborhood. o The public safety department estimates that police officers, fire fighters and personnel from homeland security and animal care and control have worked 7,742 hours since the explosion, just on matters related to it. o 5,204 regular-time hours and 1,626 overtime hours.
Dec 20 - Indy
Dec 20th, we will be issuing 17 demo orders," said Indianapolis Code Enforcement spokesman Al Ensler.129 Indianapolis Explosion victims fund receives $10,500.00 from Burmese Churches.130 o A community of Chin refugees from Burma live on Indianapolis's south side mobilized for a response. 19 Chin churches contributed to help the victims. This was a pleasant surprise for Southport Presbyterian, the church coordinating the victim's fund, since they were not expecting any such wonderful donation. o Some 7,000 Chin refugees from Burma had resettled on the south side of Indianapolis in recent years, having escaped brutal persecution in their homeland. As ethnic minorities in Burma, many were once victims of forced labor, and some saw their homes burned down by the country's ruling military junta. Today, they have constructed new lives in a new country, and found a way to feel at home in Indianapolis.
126
http://www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view§ion=5-News&item=Senators-to-Hold-Pipeline-SafetyHearing-Following-Explosion-in-Sissonville7473 http://www.statejournal.com/story/20521238/sissonville-explosion-prompts-federal-hearing 127 http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/6ce8195ab5584335919d85c264df4418/IN--Indianapolis-HouseExplosion 128 http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/costs-pile-up-as-blast-investigation-continues 129 http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?ID=1824440 130 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-wright/indianapolis-explosion_b_2301707.html
37
38
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
counts of arson, conspiracy to commit arson, and attempted arson, on Thursday Dec-20 and arrested on Friday Dec-21.131 o Personal property insurance on the home had been raised recently to $304,000 and photographs and personal financial records removed before the explosion, prosecutors allege. o Investigators believe a programmable microwave which exploded from the inside out was the source of ignition, and valves that regulate natural gas into the home and to a fireplace were removed, allowing gas to build up over hours, DA Curry said. o The home was filled with natural gas for six to eight hours prior to the explosion. o Investigators allege that there was a nearly identical, but failed, attempt to blow up the house a week earlier. The cat was boarded, the daughter sent to the same babysitter and Leonard and Shirley took off for the same casino. o The daughter reported smell of gas in the house, but the adults in the household took no action, and in earlier news analysis we drew different conclusions from that, since it fits a pattern of adults not taking warnings seriously in past disasters. No word yet on whether the daughter gets to live with her Dad, whose suspicions have now been vindicated. o The motive may have been to defraud the insurance company. Mark Leonard has a past criminal record which included fraud. 132 o Authorities are still working to determine whether others were involved. o The three suspects will probably appear in court Monday morning Dec-24. o The case qualifies for the death penalty. o The white van belonged to Mark Leonard, who is the caretaker at a shuttered Southwestside hotel and convention center. o The blast had Killed 2 people; Injured 12 people; So severely damaged the neighborhood that 33 homes have to be demolished. Authorities are still searching for a fourth suspect. 133
131
38
39
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
Dec 29 NRDC
Land owners who lease their territory to oil & gas companies for mineral rights, are taking risks. They may get good income, they might not. There can be environmental contamination for them, and their neighbors, for which they might be held accountable. Dec 29, environmental group National Resources Defense Council writes about another risk. Some oil & gas companies fail to pay their bills, so their creditors can then put a lien on land owners who leased them mineral rights, and keep that a secret from them. 138
http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2012/12/3_plead_not_guilty_to_murder_i.html http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-indianapolis-house-explosion-pleas-20121224,0,1802983.story http://www.wdrb.com/story/20411931/murder-suspects-in-indianapolis-explosion-could-face-death-penalty http://www.wdrb.com/story/20420428/suspects-in-indianapolis-home-explosion-case-to-be-held-withoutbond http://www.abc57.com/news/state-and-regional/New-details-in-deadly-Indy-house-explosion184563361.html 135 http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/sbt-court-packed-for-hearing-on-indianapolis-explosion20121225,0,6310422.story 136 http://www.chron.com/news/article/6-children-hurt-in-suburban-Dallas-gas-explosion-4144065.php 137 http://www.kvue.com/news/Repairs-continue-after-gas-explosion-damages-home-185174462.html 138 http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/another_risk_when_leasing_prop.html 139 http://www.keloland.com/News/newsdetail6371.cfm/investigators-believe-gas-leak-causedexplosion/?id=141945
39
40
2/2/2014 10:10:12 AM
BP estimates the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has cost $8.5 billion and counting. 140
140 141
40