By a 5-0 vote, the state Public Utility Commission has approved a settlement between Peoples Natural Gas Company and homeowners in West Wheatfield Township for an over-pressurization incident in Robinson in April of 2020.
The PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement found that three Peoples employees conducting an annual inspection on a regulator serving the area failed to follow company procedures, that their training may not have been sufficient, and that the design of the system contributed to the damage. A flareup caused by the over-pressured regulator resulted in the gas company having to replace 11 furnaces, 70 water heaters, a stove, 194 furnace valves, and 135 water tank valves. It also had to replace approximately 4,552 feet of steel pipe and 133 service lines, and it conducted leak surveys for eight weeks until all leaking gas lines were replaced.
Peoples will pay a $250,000 civil penalty and is barred from seeking to recover $305,206 in repair expenses from its customers through future rate increases. The company must also review all regulator stations in its system within 30 days of the final approval of the settlement, which is dated May 9th , and change any that are at risk. The settlement also stipulates improved procedures and training.
