Pipe pressure before gas explosions was 12 times too high
The pressure in natural gas pipelines prior to a series of explosions and fires in Massachusetts last week was 12 times higher than it should have been, according to a letter from the state's U.S. senators to executives of the utility in charge of the pipelines.
Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey sent the letter Monday seeking answers about the explosions from the heads of Columbia Gas, the company that serves the communities of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, and NiSource, the parent company of Columbia Gas.
"The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has reported that the pressure in the Columbia Gas system should have been around 0.5 pounds per square inch (PSI), but readings in the area reached at least 6 PSI — twelve times higher than the system was intended to hold," the letter said.
The pressure spike registered in a Columbia Gas control room in Ohio, the senators said in the letter, which requests a reply by Wednesday.
See also: Columbia Gas pledges $10M toward relief efforts in Lawrence, Andover, North Andover
Previously: 60-80 Homes Burn; Gas Line "Incident" in Northern Massachusetts
(Score: 5, Touché) by bob_super on Tuesday September 18 2018, @11:13PM (9 children)
"Dear elected official, 80 homes just burnt down in your constituency, apparently because someone fucked up the pressure of the explosive gas they deliver to populated areas by an order of magnitude and no safety mechanism tripped."
"Fuck off, TMB said it's not my problem!"
(Score: 4, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday September 18 2018, @11:33PM (8 children)
s/Fuck off.*/Call the mayor or governor, I have no authority over it./
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 18 2018, @11:42PM (1 child)
Pretty sure a mayor will "hop to it" when a senator pomes their head in.
But hey, that is talking about humanity and not PERL scripts so i understand your confusion.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday September 19 2018, @11:23AM
You think? They're a pretty shitty mayor then.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by aristarchus on Wednesday September 19 2018, @12:02AM (5 children)
I was under the impression that TMB was in charge of high-pressure gas. Was I mistaken? Is this another situation where we need to let the market decide who explodes, and keep government hands off our private exploded pieces?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 19 2018, @07:54AM (1 child)
Once again, we see Aristarchus trolling a conversation, with some mindless sycophant partisan modding him up repeatedly.
Dear Mindless Partisan,
You are a worse problem than the idiot Aristarchus. Kindly eliminate yourself from the earth, ASAP.
- Concerned Soylentil
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday September 19 2018, @11:22AM
Fuck off. I modded him up for that one. It was pretty funny.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday September 19 2018, @12:06PM
Something tells me he never lets his gas build up to high pressures.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday September 19 2018, @02:37PM (1 child)
I dunno if "high-pressure gas" is exactly what the guy's dealing in, Ari...something tangentially related, maybe, and for sure under high pressure though.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday September 19 2018, @05:16PM
Nice. +1 Funny for you as well.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.