Columbia Gas Pays $875,000 in Pennsylvania Settlement
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission unanimously approved a settlement resolving pipeline safety violations, requiring Columbia Gas to pay an $875,000 civil penalty without passing costs to customers.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted 5-0 to approve a joint settlement with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc. regarding past pipeline safety violations. The agreement resolves a formal complaint filed in November 2023 by the Commission’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement. It addresses failures identified during main line replacement projects in Allegheny and Washington counties between 2019 and 2020.
Columbia Gas must pay an $875,000 civil penalty as part of the resolution. The company is prohibited from recovering this penalty or associated investigation costs from its customers in Pennsylvania. The penalty is not tax-deductible. This financial outcome stems from violations of state and federal regulations concerning plastic polyethylene gas pipe fusions.
Regulatory Investigation Findings
The investigation was triggered by a failed fusion at the Tropical Avenue Project in Pittsburgh in 2020. Subsequent digs across five projects revealed extensive non-compliance. Investigators found at least 220 visually unacceptable fusions on service and main lines that lacked complete cold ring clamp impressions or were improperly mitered.
Additional violations included the failure to mark or label at least 552 fusions according to company standards. The company also allowed an unqualified contractor employee to perform and inspect plastic fusions. At least 44 saddle tee taps were not properly installed to gas main lines. Accurate records of pipeline components and personnel were also missing.
Mandatory Corrective Actions
Columbia Gas must replace all visually unacceptable fusions identified in the investigation. The company is required to implement procedures that enhance contractor oversight and ensure the production of quality fusions. These measures are designed to reduce risks associated with plastic pipe fusion processes.
The settlement mandates the development of a process to incorporate findings of removed unacceptable fusions into the annual Distribution Integrity Management Program review. Columbia Gas must also establish a fusion inspection documentation process for construction coordinators evaluating field work.
Reporting and Documentation Requirements
The company must notify the PUC Pipeline Safety Division of any leaks occurring at plastic fusions within one business day of discovery. Additionally, Columbia Gas must submit a Facility Failure Report for all legacy production joints removed following a failure of visual inspection.
These requirements aim to enhance the company’s knowledge of its system and ensure accurate record-keeping of pipeline components. The settlement concludes the formal complaint process initiated by the regulatory body’s enforcement division.
