Energy company accused of not fixing natural gas leak that caused Greene County house explosion

Taylor Spirito
·2 min read
1

Energy company Equitrans, L.P. is facing charges after the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office said it failed to fix a natural gas leak that caused a Greene County house to explode in 2018.

On Oct. 31, 2018, the house at 161 Bowser Road in Clarksville exploded and caught fire when Cody White turned the stove on, causing White, his girlfriend and their four-year-old son to sustain severe burns.

According to the attorney general’s office, Equitrans owned and operated a natural gas storage field directly underneath the home. A storage well near the house was deteriorating and leaking gas for years, resulting in methane contamination in the home’s water supply.

Officials said Equitrans had previously acknowledged that the field was losing gas and that wells inside the field were leaking gas before the explosion.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >> Young couple, toddler flown to hospital after house explodes in Greene County

After the explosion, Equitrans was required by law to initiate and conduct its own investigation to find the cause of the leak, which it didn’t do, according to the attorney general’s office.

“Pennsylvanians have a right to feel safe in their homes, without concern for large corporations creating environmental hazards,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “This brave family has endured significant hardship, suffering physical and emotional injuries, financial stress, and the loss of their family home and cherished personal belongings. Companies have a responsibility to abide by regulations that help maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the communities where they work, and my office will be here to enforce the laws if they fail to do that.”

The 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Jury recommended charges under Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law regarding failures to properly maintain a storage well, and for not conducting an investigation after the explosion.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Franz is prosecuting the case.

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