Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Perfect profession for being burnt alive in line of duty




If you want to be burnt alive in the line of duty, I have the perfect profession for you. Here is a hint. In what is to follow, "5+7" refers to the clause "killing 5 of the work crew, and injuring 7 others". One good thing: the death number is seldom 1, meaning that you likely wouldn't have to die alone.

The "injuries" are by and large all burn cases, from which many would not recover, and you don't have to be a worker either, e.g. [1+0 - workers in Topeka, Kansas, were installing a yard sprinkler system, hit a gas line. Gas from the leak later on exploded in a nearby home, burning a 73 year old woman, who died several weeks later.]

Nor do you have to be in a house: [4+0 - 4 campers near Kilgore, Texas, were burned to death when they were surrounded by gas from a pipeline leak that caught fire...]



As you can see, just because you don't have natural gas pipes in your house does not mean that you would be immune. The gas can "migrate" into your house via whatever conduit it could find, and blow all occupants to kingdom come.

In one case escaped propane "spread along the ground, and exploded several hours later, scorching an area over a mile wide. A girl being dropped off at a school bus stop was severely burned and later died..."

Yet another thing you will notice is that a natural gas "leak" from a pipeline is not like setting your gas-stove on low with the pilot-light out. The gas in a pipeline could be under hundreds of PSI's pressure, and a jet through a pinhole can penetrate your body like a laser. But where it could find a pin-hole in a pipe, it would blow the whole thing sky high. A family of 12 having a picnic 180 meters - 2 football fields - from the rupture was wiped out with no survivors: 12+0.

Homeland Security should look into the natural gas industry (ex-Enron's ex-pet); it feels almost like domestic terrorism.

4+>51 2010 - On September 9, a natural gas pipeline in San Bruno, California, exploded, killing 4, injuring at least 52 and levelled dozens of homes.



If you have looked into the previous list of pipeline oil spills - see [100 Causes for 100 Spills] - you would have been disgusted by the pollution, but at least you wouldn't see charred bodies all over the place. If you are that way inclined, on the other hand, natural gas is your field.

So, is the current BC premier Christy Clark that way inclined? Why is she pushing so hard for natural gas to be BC's tar-sands-equivalent, even using extreme techniques like fracturing? Does BC have an over-built burn unit? Or is it flooded with a surplus of unemployed coroners?

As for "fracking", fack frucking I say!





So, here are the major natural gas "mishaps" since 1890. Bloody indeed is its horrid history:



4+32 1890 - On January 24, a gas explosion destroyed a home in Columbus, Ohio, attracting a crowd of onlookers. While people were still gathered to look at the ruins of the home, a second gas explosion happened in a nearby home. The second explosion caused 4 deaths, and there were 32 injuries from both explosions.[1]

1929 - On July 22, two oil company patrolmen were killed by an explosion of a gas pipeline near Castaic, California.

0+6 1930 - On April 4, gas leaked into the sewer system in New York City, New York, and later exploded. 6 people were injured, 5,000 were evacuated from nearby buildings, and telephone cables were damaged.

3+10 1930 - Excavation in Fairport, New York caused a major gas explosion on July 30. 3 people were killed, 10 were injured, and a 4 family house was damaged by the blast and following fire.

4+0 1931 - 4 campers near Kilgore, Texas were burned to death when they were surrounded by gas from a pipeline leak that caught fire on April 17. The flames also spread to brush and timber in the area, preventing rescuers from reaching the bodies for 3 hours.

1936 - On February 19, a worker inside a sewer in Utica, New York ignited natural gas that had leaked into the sewer system. An explosion was triggered, and the following fire burned for more than 24 hours. 4,000 people were evacuated.

1936 - A plow being used in a field near Lawrence, Kansas ruptured a gas pipeline on December 1. The boy running the plow escaped without injuries from the following fire.

6+0 1937 - An oil pipeline being repaired by gas welding exploded near Pryor, Oklahoma on January 26. 2 of the repair crew, and 4 wives of the repairmen were killed by the explosion and following fire.

4+12 1940 - A gas compressor plant exploded in Braintree, Massachusetts on April 4, killing 4 people and injuring 12 others.

5+10 1940 - On August 29, a newly hired crew of repairmen were working on fixing a pipeline leak near Buffalo, Oklahoma, when the pipeline exploded and started a fire. 5 of the crew were killed, 10 others were burned, and 10 horses burned to death.

1943 - On January 18, a grass fire near Tyler, Texas spread to a leak in an 8 inch diameter natural gas pipeline. The gas leak was initially small, but grew quickly, until the gas flames were about 200 feet (61 m) high. Gas service was cut to 28,000 people.

1943 - Flooding along the Arkansas River broke the "Big Inch" pipeline on May 18 near Little Rock, Arkansas. It took almost 7 days to build a pipeline bypass around the failed area.

1943 - On November 8, a gas pipeline exploded for unknown reasons in Newhall, California, starting a brush fire.

5+7 1946 - A crew was working to connect a new gas main in Peru, Illinois on July 4, when the old gas main exploded, killing 5 of the work crew, and injuring 7 others.

1948 - On March 18, the 20 inch diameter "Little Big Inch" natural gas pipeline near Petersburg, Indiana, exploded and burned, throwing pieces of the pipe as far as 300 feet (91 m) away from the blast point. 3 homes were destroyed by the fire.

4+17 1948 - October 18: Vapors from a leaking butane pipeline at a refinery in Texas City, Texas spread out along a nearby highway, causing a number of cars to stall. The gas then exploded, killing 4 people, and seriously burning 17 others.

0+17 1948 - On November 19, the 24 inch diameter "Big Inch" pipeline pumping station exploded and caught fire near Seymour, Indiana, causing $3,000,000 in damage, and injuring 17 workers at the station.

1949 - On January 18, a power failure at a pipeline pumping station on the "Big Inch" pipeline caused a natural gas fire to break out near Batesville, Indiana. The fire burned for over 9 hours. An electrical arc was suspected in causing the power failure.

1949 - A 30 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline near Moreno Valley, California ruptured on January 19, forcing at least 18 families to evacuate. There was no injuries or fire.

1949 - A section of the "Little Big Inch" exploded and burned in North Vernon, Indiana on March 4, burning a mother and her infant. It was the fourth explosion on that pipeline in Indiana that year.

1949 - On April 2, the 20-inch (510 mm) "Little Inch" natural gas pipeline exploded and burned near Sedgwick, Arkansas.

1949 - On October 6, a series of explosions tore holes in the "Big Inch" pipeline in Goreville, Illinois, but there was no fires or injuries.

1949 - On October 10, an unfinished portion of a natural gas pipeline exploded and burned near Floris, Iowa. Gas had flowed past the last closed valve into the under construction section.

1949 - A 16 inch natural gas pipeline near Saraland, Alabama ruptured on November 8, threatening to shut down the gas supply 100,000 to people. There was no fire.

1949 - A road grader operator was seriously burned when his grader hit a 6 inch gas pipeline west of Mankato, Kansas on November 17.

1949 - On December 8, an explosion and fire occurred at a compressor station for a 24 inch natural gas pipeline in Centralia, Missouri. Flames could be seen for 150 miles (240 km) away.

18+<100 1949 - A leaking gas line caused an explosion at a packing plant in Sioux City, Iowa on December 14. 18 workers were killed, and almost 100 injured. 0+2 1949 - On December 15, a 22 inch natural gas pipeline exploded and burned near Carthage, Tennessee, injuring 2 people. Flames shot 1,000 feet (300 m) into the air. 1949 - A 24 inch natural gas transmission pipeline exploded in Trousdale, Kansas in December 22. There were no injuries.[54] 1950 - On January 16, a 24 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned in Dumas, Texas. The resulting fire could be seen for 33 miles (53 km). 1950 - On January 20, the "Big Inch" natural gas pipeline exploded and burned near Caldwell, Ohio. 1+2 1950 - On March 13, an overhead pipeline at a refinery in Martinez, California leaked, causing flammable fumes to spread onto a highway. An automobile ignited the fumes, killed a woman, and injuring 2 other in vehicle. 3 auto were also burned. 1950 - A series of hydrostatic tests on the "Big Inch" pipeline led to 70 ruptures of that pipeline in the New Jersey area. 1950 - The "Big Inch" gas pipeline exploded and burned on July 1 near Beallsville, Ohio. A house and a barn were destroyed by the fire. 1950 - Three workers were killed in an underground vault in Los Angeles, California on August 22 when a gas main exploded. There was no fire. 1950 - On September 7, a new natural gas pipeline exploded near Big Rapids, Michigan. Two barns were destroyed by the following fire that was seen for 50 miles. 1950 - A 30 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Chatham, Virginia on November 3. The pipe ruptured for 550 feet (170 m), and parts of the pipe started to melt from the heat. 1950 - On November 24, a newly built 30 inch natural gas pipeline ruptured for nearly 3,000 feet (910 m), causing a fire that destroyed 2 homes under construction near King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. 1950 - On December 25, an explosion at a gas metering station in Danville, Indiana left 700 families without gas service. 1951 - On January 10, two gas explosions 3 hours apart hit McKees Rock, Pennsylvania, injuring 8 people, igniting a fire, and causing widespread damage. 3+0 1951 - A gas main pressure regulator failed in Rochester, New York on September 21, causing a series of explosion that last for 4 hours. 3 people were killed, and 30 homes were destroyed. 0+29 1951 - A Halloween Parade on October 31 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was interrupted by 4 gas main explosions. 29 people were injured. 1951 - A 12 inch diameter temporary gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Cranberry, Pennsylvania on November 27, causing a 200-foot (61 m) high flame that could be seen for a number of miles away. The explosion was heard for 10 miles around. A pipeline compressor station under construction at the site was destroyed. A nearby Elementary school was relocated following the failure, due to local fears of a future pipeline failure. The pipeline had been installed just the previous summer. 1952 - On May 17, a section of the "Little Big Inch" gas pipeline ruptured near a valve, injuring 6 pipeline workers near Marietta, Pennsylvania. The pipeline had been temporarily located above ground to allow construction of a new gas compressor station. There was no fire. 1952 - On July 9, the "Little Big Inch" gas pipeline explodes and burns west of York, Pennsylvania. Another explosion followed a few days later on July 18, in the same area on that pipeline, but there was no fire the second time. 1952 - Four men working on an 8 inch gas pipeline near Mount Pleasant, Michigan were burned when that pipeline ruptured as they raised it for reconditioning on September 26. 1953 - On April 13, a gas pipeline serving Elizabeth, Louisiana and 2 paper mills with striking workers was ruptured by explosives. This was the sixth time that pipeline had been ruptured during the 7 months of the strike. 1+50 1953 - On September 10, a gas explosion in Cleveland, Ohio killed one person and injured 50 others. 1953 - On October 18, a 30 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Uniontown, Pennsylvania. A 40-foot (12 m) section of the pipeline was destroyed. 1953 - A US Air Force T-33 trainer jet crashed into a natural gas pipeline bridge over the Mississippi River on November 24 near Greenville, Mississippi, rupturing and igniting the pipeline. 5+15 1954 - A leaking LP gas distribution line was blamed for causing an explosion in Goldsboro, North Carolina on April 12 that killed 5 people, injured 15 others, and demolished 3 buildings. The LPG distribution system was 40 to 50 years old, and had other leaks in that city. 1955 - The "Big Inch" gas pipeline exploded and burned near Roseville, Ohio on March 7. Flames reached 400 feet (120 m) high, and 8 acres (32,000 m2) of brush & timber burned. 4+2 1955 - On March 9, a pipeline construction crew of 4 were killed while trying to move a pipeline for the building of a Toll road in Chesterton, Indiana. Two other pipeline workers were injured, and a school a quarter mile away was evacuated. 1+0 1955 - A bulldozer ruptured and ignited a gas pipeline in Brookshire, Texas. Flames reached 250 feet (76 m), and the bulldozer operator was killed. 1955 - On July 17, a natural gas transmission pipeline blew out near Lufkin, Texas. a 20-foot (6.1 m) section of pipe ruptured, but here was no fire. 21+15 1955 - On August 10, a gas leak in Ashtabula, Ohio was ignited by electrical equipment or lightning, causing a restaurant to explode. 21 people were killed, 15 more were injured, and 6 buildings destroyed. 0+1 1955 - A gas pipeline being tested in Detroit, Michigan exploded and burned on September 7, injuring one person, and destroying 50 cars. 2+3 1955 - On October 10, a crew cleaning the outside of a natural gas pipeline with a heavy rubber ball ruptured a coupler, causing an explosion and fire east of Orleans, Indiana. Two members of the crew were killed, and 3 others were injured. 3+0 1956 - On February 11, a corroded gas line from a gas main leaked, causing an explosion that killed 3 people at a meat packing plant in Toledo, Ohio. 1956 - A natural gas pipeline exploded and burned near Herscher, Illinois on March 10. There were no injuries reported. 1956 - On October 16, a petroleum products pipeline leaked butane near Greenwich, Ohio, forcing evacuations of 25 homes, and delaying rail and road traffic. There was no fire. 3+11 1957 - On January 16, an explosion and fire occurred at a natural gas compressor station in Liberal, Kansas, killing 3 workers at that station. 11 other workers were injured, and the fire burned for 2 hours. The shut down of this gas pipeline from the explosion affected customers as far away as Ohio in sub zero weather conditions. 3+7 1957 - Two explosion from a natural gas main killed 3 people in Peoria, Illinois on January 17. 7 others were injured, and a home and a 2 story building were levelled. 1957 - The "Little Inch" natural gas pipeline exploded near East Berlin, Pennsylvania on January 23. Flames shot over 200 feet (61 m) into the air. 2+42 1957 - A leaking gas main in Reno, Nevada led to three explosions on February 6. 2 people were killed, 42 others injured, and 5 buildings were destroyed. 0+1 1957 - On June 3, a 26 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Ellinwood, Kansas, destroying a farm house. One person was injured. 1957 - A 16 inch gas transmission pipeline burst near Edwall, Washington on October 18. Spokane, Washington lost most of its gas supply from the failure. There was no fire. 1957 - A 30 inch diameter gas pipeline exploded near Riverdale, New Jersey on October 28. There were no injuries or fire. 13+0 1957 - On December 5, a gas line in the basement of a store that was being worked on in Villa Rica, Georgia, exploded. 13 people were killed in the explosion and following fire. At least 6 stores were destroyed. 0+1 1958 - On January 31, a fire on a wooden bridge in Compton, California caused a 8 inch gas pipeline to rupture and burn. One spectator was injured fleeing the pipeline blaze. 2+1 1958 - A natural gas metering station in Kimberly, Idaho exploded on February 17, killing two pipeline company workers, injuring another worker, and destroyed the metering building. There was no fire. 3+1 1958 - On June 1, gas leaking from a pipeline near Big Spring, Texas was ignited and exploded, killing 3 fishermen and seriously burning another fisherman. 2+0 1958 - A truck missed a curve on a road and crashed into a gas transmission pipeline compressor station near Kings Mountain, North Carolina on September 16. There was an explosion and fire, and the 2 men in the truck were killed. 7+23 1958 - A leaking and burning gasline under a street lead to several explosions at a Hotel in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on December 14. 7 people were killed and 23 others injured. 1+1 1959 - A worker on gas transmission pipeline was closing a valve, when it exploded near Newton, Pennsylvania on September 25. The worker was killed, and another worker was injured. 1959 - A cleaning device apparently ruptured a 10 inch diameter NGL pipeline, south of Austin, Texas, on October 8. 300 to 400 people were evacuated. The gas eventually dissipated safely. 1959 - A gas transmission pipeline exploded on November 2 near North Jackson, Ohio. A section of the pipeline was hurled 100 feet (30 m) from the blast crater. There was no fire, and no injuries reported. 1960 - An estimated 125,000 persons in southwest Missouri were without gas in subfreezing temperatures for several days due to a ditch-digging machine rupturing a pipeline. 10+0 1960 - In July, excavation work in Merrill, Wisconsin causes a gas leak and gas explosion that killed 10 people. 0+9 1960 - A ditching machine used in laying a water main hit an 8 inch diameter natural gas pipeline in Sarasota, Florida on October 5. 9 People were injured in the following explosion and fire. 2+4 1960 - On October 27, a 16 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline near Checotah, Oklahoma exploded while it was being worked on to repair a leak. 2 of the repair crew died, and 4 others were injured. 1960 - A 30 inch gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned at a gas sub station in Huntington, West Virginia on December 19. Windows were broken, 1 homes was damaged, and brush burned, but there were no injuries. 1961 - On January 4, a gas pipeline failure near Waynesburg, Pennsylvania ignited, causing a fire that was widely seen in the area. There were no injuries. 0+3 1961 - On February 22, a pipeline exploded and burned in a refinery in Borger, Texas, killing 9 members of a construction crew, and burning another crewman. 1961 The main City of Miami, Florida Garage was destroyed by a gas explosion on February 23. The blast was caused by a ditch digging machine being used in the garage hitting and rupturing a 2 inch gas pipe. One person was seriously burned by the blast, and 2 fire fighters were injured fight the fire that followed the blast. 1961 - A 36 inch gas transmission pipeline exploded near Laurel, Mississippi on June 18. 10 people were injured, and one home was destroyed from flames that went hundreds of feet in the air. A crater 30 feet (9.1 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) deep was created by the failure. 0+22 1961 - A 26 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Winchester, Kentucky on September 11. 22 people suffered various burn injuries. 1961 - On November 19, a gas pipeline exploded and burned near Warrenton, Virginia. The blast created a crater 40 feet (12 m) long, 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, and 6 feet (1.8 m) deep. There were no injuries. 1961 - An 18 inch diameter natural gas pipeline exploded and burned near Cadiz, Ohio on November 25. There were no injuries or damage. 0+6 1962 - Gas leaking from a 10 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline exploded on February 20 in Portage, Ohio, injuring 6 people and destroying a home. 1+5 1962 - On June 14, a backhoe ruptured a gas transmission pipeline near Idaho Falls, Idaho. The escaping gas exploded and ignited later on while a crew was trying to repair the line. One of the crew was killed, and 5 others injured in the fire. 1962 - On August 2, a natural gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned in Clearwater, Florida, next to US Highway 19, forcing that road's closure for a time. There were no injuries reported. Investigators found the line had previous mechanical damage as a cause of the failure. 0+1 1962 - A 30 inch diameter gas transmission failed on August 2 in Kansas City, Kansas. The gas flowed for 10 minutes before exploding and igniting. An 8 inch gas distribution pipeline was also ruptured, 11 homes were destroyed, and 23 others were damaged. At least one person was injured. 1+0 1962 - On September 11, an 8 inch propane/LPG pipeline was ruptured by road building equipment near Eatonton, Georgia. One of the road workers was overcome and asphyxiated by the propane fumes. Propane fumes followed the Oconee River for 10 miles (16 km) into Lake Sinclair. 1+9 1963 - On January 2, a gas transmission pipeline ruptured due to a defective weld in San Francisco, California. The gas ignited, one firefighter died from a heart attack, and 9 other firefighters were injured fighting the resulting inferno. 0+16 1963 - An explosion and fire spread through a gas pipeline compressor station in Montezuma, Indiana on March 12, injuring 16 workers. 1963 - On October 31, a 6 inch diameter butane pipeline was ruptured by an earth mover near West Millgrove, Ohio. The equipment operator was critically burned by the following explosion and fire. 1964 - A Santa Fe Railroad Freight Train apparently ignited fumes from a leaking propane pipeline near Bosworth, Missouri on February 4. The explosion and fire ignited 4 diesel locomotives and some box cars, and derailed other box cars. One member of the Rail Crew was injured. 2+0 1964 - On February 7, 2 workers installing insulation on a valve in a manhole in Richardson, Texas were overcome by gas when an 8 inch pipeline in the vault ruptured, and were killed. 1964 - A front loader ruptured a gas pipeline in Fort Worth, Texas on February 28, seriously burning the loader operator. 1964 - On May 12, a bulldozer hit and broke a valve on an LPG pipeline near Demopolis, Alabama while grading land. The resulting fire caused fears of flames spreading to an underground storage facility, but the fire was later controlled. There were no injuries. 0+4 1964 - A gas line being moved in Miami, Florida exploded and burned on November 18. 4 people were injured. 5+23 1964 - On November 25, a recently replace natural gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned in Saint Francisville, Louisiana, killing 5 workers of the pipeline, and injuring at least 23 others. 1+0 1965 - On January 6, a house in Garnett, Kansas was destroyed by an explosion, and later on gas was found leaking from a 2 inch gasline in the street front of it, and was suspected as the cause. A young boy was killed. The leak may have also caused another nearby house explosion the previous November. 1+2 1965 - On January 21, an 8 inch diameter propane transmission pipeline 15 miles (24 km) east of Jefferson City, Missouri leaked. The propane spread along the ground, and exploded several hours later, scorching an area over a mile wide. A girl being dropped off at a school bus stop was severely burned and later died, and 2 other people were burned.

17+9 1965 - A 32 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline, north of Natchitoches, Louisiana, belonging to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline exploded and burned from Stress corrosion cracking(SCC) on March 4, killing 17 people. At least 9 others were injured, and 7 homes 450 feet from the rupture were destroyed. This accident, and others of the era, led then-President Lyndon B. Johnson to call for the formation of a national pipeline safety agency in 1967. The same pipeline had also had an explosion on May 9, 1955, just 930 feet (280 m) from the 1965 failure.

1+15 1965 - On July 24, a natural gas pipeline exploded and burned when workers were welding on a tie-in pipeline onto it near Tescott, Kansas. One of the workers died, and 15 others were injured.

1+8 1965 - On August 21, a 9-year-old girl was killed and eight people were injured in a pipeline explosion in western Van Wert County, Ohio. The explosion threw up flames that could be seen from 40 miles (64 km) away and scorched a 100-acre (0.40 km2) area of farmland. Nancy Anna May Rigdon was killed in her bed in a house 300 yards from the blast site. The rest of her family was injured but survived. Investigators said the explosion was caused by gas leaking from an eight-inch pipeline apparently ignited by a spark from a passing train.

1965 - A 8 inch diameter gasoline pipeline ruptured in Sylvania, Ohio on August 23. The danger of fire or explosion forced evacuations of residents in a 2-square-mile (5.2 km2) area. There was no fire.

1965 - On October 25, a ruptured pipeline spilled naphtha in Mount Cory, Ohio, forcing evacuations until the naphtha evaporated.

1966 - A 6 inch diameter natural gas pipeline ruptured in Norfolk, Nebraska on January 28, shutting off gas to 20,000 people in 10 communities on January 28.

0+8 1966 - On December 14, a leaking propane pipeline near Swedenborg, Missouri made a car stall. Other came to aid the stalled car, and someone lit a cigarette, igniting the fumes. 8 people were burned and hospitalized.

1967 - A leaking gas main in the Jamaica section of New York City, New York caught fire on January 13. 2 pieces of FDNY equipment responding to the gas leak report were burned, as well as numerous buildings. The fire spread to 13 alarm size, with 63 fire companies being used to control the situation. The cause of the leak was the failure of a moisture scrubbing "drip pot" on the pipeline.

1+1 1967 - A 6 inch diameter propane pipeline exploded and burned while it was being worked on in Meeker, Oklahoma on January 10. One of the workers was killed, and another injured.

1967 - Manufacturers Light and Heat Company announced they were requesting to the Federal Power Commission permission to allow a new pipeline to replace 73.5 miles of older pipeline, which was having 200 to 450 leaks a year in Eastern Pennsylvania.

2+4 1967 - On May 16, a pile driver ruptured a propane pipeline in Dearborn, Michigan. The escaping gas caught fire, with 2 construction workers being killed, and 4 others seriously burned.

1967 - A leaking pipeline released 30,000 barrels (4,800 m3) of JP-4 grade jet fuel in Wilmington, California on June 30. There was no fire.

1968 - A petroleum products pipeline was discovered to be leaking on January 27, near Kokomo, Mississippi. Damage to cotton crops and water wells was discovered soon afterward.

41+150 1968 - On April 6, natural gas leaking from a pipeline in Richmond, Indiana built up in a sporting goods store and exploded. Gunpowder in the that store exploded later on. 41 people were killed, 150 were injured, and 15 buildings destroyed.

9+3 1968 - On May 29, a bulldozer ruptured a 1-inch gas service line at a children's nursery in Hapeville, Georgia, causing an explosion and fire. Seven children and two adults were killed, and three children were seriously injured in the accident.

2+3 1968 - An 8 inch diameter propane pipeline rupture in a landslide ruptured near Plainfield, Ohio on June 2. 2 people were killed, 3 others injured by burns, and 7 buildings and 7 vehicles were destroyed.

1+4 1968 - A coal company digging machine hit an 8 inch LPG pipeline in Fulton County, Illinois on September 3, killing one person and injuring 4 others.

5+0 1968 - An LPG pipeline, near Yutan, Nebraska ruptured on December 5. Repair crews responded to the pipeline rupture, and thought LPG vapors were dispersed, but ignited the vapor cloud by driving into it. Five repairmen were killed. After the accident, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal ordered MAPCO to reduce its operating pressure, and to hydrostatic retest 52 miles (84 km) of that pipeline. During the tests, 195 longitudinal seams failed.

0+1 1968 - On December 18, a 30 inch diameter gas pipeline exploded and burned at a gas processing plant in Gibson, Louisiana. One plant worker was injured.

1+9 1969 - On May 6, a gas pipeline in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that had been moved, was undergoing pressure testing when a cap on it blew off, hitting and rupturing another nearby gas pipeline. That pipeline exploded and burned, killing 1 worker, injuring 9 other workers, and damaging 3 homes.

0+7 1969 - On June 3, overpressure of a low pressure natural gas distribution system in Gary, Indiana caused numerous small fires and explosions. A gas company worker's errors allowed much higher than normal gas pressure in a gas distribution system. 56 square blocks were evacuated, 7 people were injured, 6 homes destroyed, and 19 other homes damaged.

0+7 1969 - On September 9, a converted natural gas pipeline running at 789 psi near Houston, Texas ruptured, causing a massive fire. Construction work downstream of the accident led to a pressure build up that caused the rupture. 7 people were injured, 13 homes were destroyed, and many others damaged.

1969 - On December 25, a land leveler ruptured a 22 inch natural gas transmission pipeline in Hermiston, Oregon. Gas at 600 psi sprayed from the pipeline. A warning sign about the existence of the gas pipeline was 10 feet (3.0 m) away from the rupture site.

3+0 1970 - A leak natural gas pipeline exploded in Houma, Louisiana on January 24, killing 3 people, and demolishing half a block of downtown buildings.

1970 - On December 9, the Propane vapor cloud explosion in Port Hudson, Phillips Pipeline Company. propane gas explosion, Franklin County, Missouri. A leak led to propane cloud explosion with a force estimated up to 50 tons of TNT. The NTSB cited past external and internal corrosion issues, and poor welds on the uncoated pipeline as concerns.

2+0 1970 - Explosion of a 30-inch diameter 1100 psi inlet natural gas pipeline, bringing offshore natural gas into a gas drying plant in southern Louisiana. Two plant personnel were killed. Rupture was at a junction of a 12-inch gas line to the 30-inch main line.

15+>60 1970 - On December 11, A restaurant owner opened a gas line valve in New York, New York, not knowing that part of the gas line was open and unconnected. The gas in the building exploded, killing 15 people, & injuring more than 60 others.

7+0 1971 - A faulty valve on a 3 inch diameter natural gas pipeline was suspected of causing a gas leak that resulted in 3 separate explosions, including a house explosion in Lambertville, New Jersey that killed 7 people.

1971 - On June 5, an ammonia pipeline failed near Floral, Arkansas, releasing 80 tons of ammonia.

1971 - On October 4, 2 gas explosions in North Richland Hills, Texas. Gas migrated into 2 homes from leaking gas pipes.

6+0 1971 - On November 17, a gas company repair crew was overcome in a service vault in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2 workmen were overcome initially, and 4 others attempting to rescue them were also overcome by gas asphyxiation. All 6 died.

1972 - On January 29, during the blowdown of a pipeline dehydrator, LPG fumes caught fire at Conway, Kansas

1972 - On March 24, a Natural gas explosion at Annandale, Virginia.

0+2 1972 - On June 15, a crew was welding on a gas main in Bryan, Ohio that had been shut off, when someone inadvertently openned a valve that fed gas into that main. The gas ignited, and exploded, serious injuring 2 workers.

4+0 1972 - On June 20, a 12 inch diameter high pressure propane pipeline, near Butler, Alabama, was ruptured by a road grader. A short time after the line was ruptured, a car drove into the vapor cloud. The car stalled, and trying to restart it was suspected to have ignited the vapor cloud, killing four people.

6+9 1972 - On October 30, a bulldozer working on a power company construction project ruptured a gas main in Lake City, Minnesota. Leaking gas accumulated in, then exploded in a nearby variety store, killing 6 and injuring 9.

1972 - On November 18, a leak in a weld on a 36 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline in Bend, Oregon forced the shutdown of gas service to 3,000 customers.

3+4 1973 - On February 7, a cracked gas main leaked in Adamsville, Alabama. The escaping gas exploded, killing 3 people and injuring 2 others. A string of other gas main cracking incidents occurred in this city, killing one other person, and injuring 2 others.

5+22 1973 - On February 21, installation of a sewer was suspected of damaging a gas line in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. Leaking gas later exploded in an apartment building, killing 5 people, injuring 22 others, and destroying the building.

6+2 1973 - On February 22, in Austin, Texas, a natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline ruptured due to an improper weld. A passing car or truck set off a vapor cloud explosion and fire. Six people were killed, and 2 others injured.

1+1 1973 - On Mya 3, improper sampling procedures on an LPG pipeline killed one worker and injured another from freezing at Dayton, Ohio.

2+0 1973 - In the summer, a pipeline ruptured in Diamond, Louisiana. The escaping gas fumes were ignited by a lawnmower, killing 2 people.

1974 - On January 2, a 22 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline failed in Prairie du Rocher, Illinois. The resulting fire caused no serious damage, but 7,000 people in the area were left without gas heating for several subfreezing days.

1974 - On March 2, a 30 inch diameter gas pipeline failed at 797 pounds pressure inside a 34-inch diameter casing pipe under a road near Monroe, Louisiana. 10 acres of forest were burned, but there were no injuries or deaths. A substandard girth weld was the cause. The failure of automatic valves on the pipeline to close upon a pressure drop were also cited in contributing to the size of the accident.

3+0 1974 - On March 15, a gas transmission pipeline ruptured near Farmington, New Mexico, killing a family of 3 in a truck driving nearby when the gas ignited. Corrosion along the longitudinal seem weld of the pipe section caused the failure.

0+>70 1974 - April22, a gas line in a commercial building in New York, New York, was ruptured by falling equipment in a basement. The escaping gas later exploded, injuring more than 70 people.

2+0 1974 - On May 3, a previously damaged gas main ruptured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, causing an explosion that killed 2, and caused extensive damage to 4 row homes. Earlier plumbing work was suspect to have caused the gas line damage.

5+0 1974 - On May 21, a 6 inch gas-gathering pipeline, ruptured at the edge of a rural road south of Meridian, Mississippi. Three vehicles entered the area which contained the escaping gas, and stalled near the rupture. The gas ignited at 10:05 p.m., and five persons died as a result. The 3 vehicles were destroyed and 40 acres (160,000 m2) of woodland were burned. Although less than 4 years old, the 6-inch pipe had corroded internally and had been embrittled by hydrogen.

1974 - On June 9, a 30 inch gas transmission pipeline failed and gas ignited near Bealeton, Virginia, from hydrogen stress cracking. Failure alarms at the nearest upstream gas compressor station did not activate, and the pipeline failure was first notice by a compressor station employee happening to see the large fire from the pipeline rupture.

0+3 1974 - On August 13, an ammonia pipeline failed near Hutchinson, Kansas after a pump station was started against a closed valve. 3 police officers were treated for ammonia inhalation; approximately 200 persons were evacuated from the area of the vapors; trees, lawns, shrubbery, and crops were burned; and an estimated 11,000 fish were killed.

1974 - On September 14, a propane pipeline to an underground storage cavern failed in Griffith, Indiana. The propane later caught fire. 1,000 residents were evacuated during the incident.

1974 - On November 24, a 12 inch diameter gas gathering pipeline exploded and burned near Meta, Kentucky. There were no injuries reported. Acts of previous vandalism against the pipeline company had happened before.

2+3 1975 - On January 23, a propane chiller exploded violently during maintenance work on it near Iowa City, Iowa. 2 workers were killed and 3 others injured by the failure.

4+0 1975 - On May 12, a natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline ruptured due to previous mechanical damage at Devers, Texas. 4 people were killed in a following vapor cloud fire. The pipeline had been damaged when a valve was installed on the pipeline.

1+0 1975 - In June, an explosion at a home in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was caused by natural gas leaking into the home from an open main in the middle of the street. One person was killed. In 1973, workers hired by the gas company had falsified records showing the main had been closed.

0+9 1975 - On August 2, an LPG pipeline ruptured near Romulus, Michigan, due to previous mechanical damage to the pipeline, and over pressurization from operator error, caused by closing a valve against a pumping pipeline, at a storage facility. Nine people were injured in the following vapor cloud fire. Flames 500 feet (150 m) high engulfed a 600-foot (180 m)-diameter area, destroyed four houses and damaged three others, burned 12 vehicles, and consumed 2,389 barrels (379.8 m3) of propane.

3+2 1975 - On October 13, employees at a gas processing plant at Goldsmith, Texas heard leak gas, and investigated. Before the leak could be found, a 12 inch diameter pipeline there exploded, killing 3 of the crew, injuring 2 others, and causing extensive plant damage.

5+2 1976 - On January 7, a repair crew working on natural gas gathering compressor station at Cedardale, Oklahoma, opened the wrong valve in an attempt to increase gas flow. Natural gas & Natural Gas Liquids flow out of an open 12 inch pipeline, and were ignited by an open flame heater. 5 of the crew were killed, and 2 seriously burned.

23+0 1976 - On January 10, gas leak at the Pathfinder Hotel in Fremont, Nebraska, exploded, killing 23 people. A compression coupling had pulled apart, causing gas to leak into the Hotel's basement.

2+0 1976 - On February 8, an improperly assembled compression coupling failed on a gas distribution line in Phoenix, Arizona, causing a house explosion that killed 2 people.

11+0 1976 - On February 25, an LPG/NGL pipeline ruptured near Whitharral, Texas, leading to vapor cloud fire that killed one, severely burning 4 others who later died, destroyed two homes, and burned an area about 400 yards wide. Electrical resistance weld (ERW) seam failure is suspected for the failure. From January 1968 to the date of the Whitharral accident, 14 longitudinal pipe seam failures had occurred on that pipeline system, which resulted in 6 other fatalities, and the escape of over 60,000 barrels (9,500 m3) of LPG.

6+0 1976 - On March 27, a two-story building in Phenix City, Alabama, exploded and burned from a gas leak. The explosion and fire killed the six persons in the building. The NTSB found that gas at 20-psig pressure had leaked from a cracked, 3-inch cast iron gas main.

9+0 1976 - On June 16, a front loader hit an 8 inch petroleum products pipeline in Los Angeles, California, during a road widening project along Venice Boulevard. 9 people were killed, a plastic factory was destroyed, and other serious property damage occurred.

6+0 1976 - On August 9, a road grader hit a 20 inch gas transmission pipeline near Calhoun, Louisiana. Six people were killed in the ensuing fire, 6 families were left homeless, and a mobile home and 2 houses were destroyed.

1+2 1976 - On August 13, a flash fire in the basement of a house in Bangor, Maine, occurred while a gas company crew was checking for the cause of low gas pressure at the home. The fire killed one gas company employee, burned two other employees, and caused minor damage to the house. One of the crew was using a match to light the basement of the home, and another crew member was smoking when the fire started.

2+4 1976 - On August 29, an explosion and fire destroyed a house at Kenosha, Wisconsin. Two persons were killed, four persons were injured, and two adjacent houses were damaged. The destroyed house was not served by natural gas. However, natural gas, which was escaping at 58 psig pressure from a punctured 2-inch plastic main located 39 feet (12 m) away, had entered the house through a 6 inch sewer lateral that had been bored through to install the gas line.

1+1 1976 - On December 7, an explosion and fire at a gas pipeline compressor station in Orange Grove, Texas killed one plant worker, and injured another.

1977 - On January 2, a gas pipeline ruptured and burned near Nursery, Texas. Some power poles were destroyed, but there were no injuries.

1977 - On February 4, a gas pipeline exploded and burned in Stockton, California. Another gas pipeline fire had occurred nearby 4 days earlier. There were no injuries.

1977 - On July 20, a 12 inch diameter propane pipeline ruptured near Ruff Creek, in Greene County, Pennsylvania, from stress corrosion cracking. The resulting propane vapor cloud ignited when a truck driven into the cloud stalled, then created a spark when it was restarted. Subsidence of underground coal mines in the area may have hastened the failure.

1977 - On July 30, a cast iron gas main broke in Cherokee, Alabama. Gas migrated into a home through a recently back filled sewer line trench, and exploded 5 days later.

2+0 1977 - On September 5, 2 brothers in a moving truck drove into a vapor cloud from a leak at a gas compressor plant in New Cuyama, California, igniting the cloud. One was killed immediately, and the other died 11 days later.

0+7 1977 - A gasline inside a building in San Francisco, California leaked and exploded, injuring 7 and heavily damaging that building. Gas repair crews were working on the line at the time.

1977 - On October 12, a bulldozer ruptured a propane pipeline near Albany, Georgia, causing nearby train traffic to be halted. The bulldozer engine was left running, nearly igniting the vapors.

1977 - On November 21, a backhoe being used to install a pipeline hit an adjacent 6 inch diameter propane pipeline in Hutchison, Kansas. Fire broke out, but there were no injuries.

1977 - On December 1, construction workers punctured a 12 inch gas pipeline in Atlanta, Georgia, with an I-beam. No fire or explosion followed, but thousands of people were evacuated from nearby buildings.

2+3 1977 - On December 15, a compression coupling joint between a plastic and a steel gas line pulled apart in Lawrence, Kansas. The gas migrated into 2 buildings, and exploded, killing 2 people, and injuring 3 others.

1+0 1978 - On January 6, a ruptured 2 inch diameter gasline leaking caused a home to explode in Spokane, Washington, killing the homeowner.

1978 - On January 23, Earth movement was suspected in causing a gas transmission pipeline to rupture and burn near Stevenson, Washington. There were no injuries.

0+8 1978 - On February 15, a gas pipeline being tested with compressed air exploded at a seam on the pipe in Cincinnati, Ohio, injuring 8.

4+1 1978 - On April 28, an improperly plugged gas line leaked into service vault in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at a shopping center, overcoming 5 gas company workers. Four of the repairmen died of asphyxiation. None of the repair crew had respirators at the job site.

1978 - On May 17, a gas company crew in Mansfield, Ohio accidentally tied a high pressure gas main into a low pressure gas main. Much higher gas flames in gas appliances caused damage in 16 homes, and about 2,000 gas meters were shut off during the incident.

3+2 1978 - On August 4, an LPG pipeline at Donnellson, Iowa, ruptured from past mechanical damage and improper lowering for road improvements. The vapor cloud ignited several minutes after the rupture. Three people were killed and 2 others severely burned.

0+6 1978 - On August 7, in Lafayette, Louisiana, natural gas at 15 psig pressure escaped from a corrosion leak in an inactive 1-inch steel service line and migrated beneath a concrete slab and into a building where it ignited. The resulting explosion and fire injured six persons and destroyed the building and its contents.

0+1 1978 - On August 28, natural gas, which had escaped from a circumferential fracture in a socket heat-fusion coupling on a 2-in. polyethylene (PE) main, operating at 40-psig pressure, migrated beneath a one-story house in Grand Island, Nebraska, exploded, and then burned. One person was injured; the house was destroyed; and three adjacent houses were damaged.

5+43 1978 - On October 24, a gas pipeline in Brookside Village, Texas ruptured and exploded, killing five people, and injuring 43 others. Seven mobile homes were also destroyed,

0+2 1979 - On January 16, an explosion and fire destroyed five commercial buildings and damaged several other buildings in London, Kentucky. Two persons were injured. External corrosion was suspected as the cause. A prearranged pressure increase in the pipeline was also a factor.

1979 - An 18 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline failed underneath the Florida Turnpike in West Palm Beach, Florida, resulting in a 2 hour road closure.

0+8 1979 - On April 18, a 24-inch natural gas transmission pipeline pulled out of a compression coupling during a line-lowering project under Iowa State Highway 181 in a rural area near Dallas, Iowa. Within seconds, the natural gas ignited and burned a 900-foot (270 m) by 400-foot (120 m) area. Two cars, a pickup truck, and a trailer housing construction equipment were destroyed. A backhoe was damaged and windows were broken in a nearby farmhouse. Five of the eight injured workers were hospitalized. The gas company's accident records indicated that this 24-inch pipeline had experienced 12 previous failures since it was constructed.

7+19 1979 - On May 11, 2 explosions and a following fire killed 7 people, injured 19 others, and destroyed 3 buildings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Soil erosion under an 8 inch cast iron gas main caused the main to break and release gas.4+0

4+0 1979 - On June 5, a "spud" dropped by a pile driving barge in the Gulf of Mexico near Pilottown, Louisiana ruptured a 4 inch diameter natural gas pipeline. The escaping gas ignited, and seriously burned the barge. 4 crew members went missing and were presumed dead.

2+0 1979 - On July 15, an anchor handling boat, PETE TIDE II, damaged an unmarked gas pipeline with a grappling hook offshore from New Orleans, Louisiana. Two of the crew were missing and presumed dead in the fire that followed.

2+2 1979 - On July 25, an explosion and fire destroyed a duplex apartment house in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two persons were killed, and two persons were hospitalized for burns; adjacent houses were damaged. Earlier in the day, a crew from Mountain Bell Telephone Company (Mountain Bell) had been using a backhoe at the intersection of Bridge Boulevard and Atrisco Road to locate a telephone cable. The backhoe snagged a gas service line but the fact that it was pulled from a 1-inch coupling under the house was not discovered at that time.

1+1 1979 - On August 20, a bulldozer operating near Orange, Texas, began to clean a farm drainage ditch. The corner of the blade cut into a propane line, which crossed beneath the ditch. Propane at 350 psig escaped and was ignited within seconds. The resulting fire killed one person and injured another, and caused considerable property damage.

1+0 1979 - On September 4, the M/V WHITEFACE struck a high-pressure gas pipeline in Lake Verret, Louisiana. A resulting explosion killed a crewman aboard the vessel.

1+1 1979 - On October 6, an explosion caused by liquefied natural gas (LNG) vapors destroyed a transformer building at the reception facility of the Columbia LNG Corporation, Cove Point, Maryland. Odorless liquefied natural gas leaked through an inadequately tightened LNG pump seal, vaporized, passed through approximately 210 feet (64 m) of underground electrical conduit and entered the substation building. One person was killed, and one person was seriously injured. Damage to the facility was estimated at about $3 million. The fire hydrants and deluge water spray system were inoperable after the explosion because the water main that supplied the system was broken at a flange above ground inside the substation.

1979 - On October 24, an explosion and fire destroyed the county clerk's office building and the adjoining courthouse building, gutted a connecting building which was under construction, and damaged the adjacent houses in Stanardsville, Virginia. Thirteen persons were injured and property was damaged extensively. The following NTSB investigation revealed that natural gas had leaked from a break in a 1 1/4-inch coated steel service line, which had been snagged by a backhoe which was being used to dig a footing for an addition to the county clerk's office building.

0+3 1979 - On October 30, a natural gas explosion and fire demolished a townhouse in Washington, D.C., and damaged nearby buildings and cars. No one was inside the townhouse at the time, but three persons in a stopped car were injured when debris from the explosion shattered a car window. After the accident, an inspection of the gas service line that served the townhouse revealed that it had been struck by excavating equipment.

1979 - November 11, a natural gas transmission pipeline exploded in West Monroe, Louisiana, causing 3 subdivisions to be evacuated. A gas pipeline explosion had taken place nearby 8 years before.

3+0 1980 - On February 21, an explosion and fire destroyed four stores in a shopping complex and severely damaged an adjoining restaurant in Cordele, Georgia. Of the eight persons who were injured, three died later as a result of their injuries. Property damage was extensive. The NTSB investigation of the accident has revealed that natural gas leaked from a 1-inch steel service line, which had been pulled from a 1-inch compression coupling from a backhoe working in the area, and migrated under a concrete slab floor and into a jewelry store where it was ignited by an unknown source.

1980 - On May 27, near Cartwright, Louisiana, an anhydrous ammonia pipeline was struck by a bulldozer, which was being used to prepare a well site, and the pipeline ruptured. Over 100 people were evacuated from the area.

0+1 1980 - On August 11, A road grader ruptured an NGL pipeline in Aurora, Colorado. Firefighters had barely evacuated residents in the area when the vapors exploded, burning one firefighter.

0+37 1980 - On October 9, a 2-inch-diameter compression coupling located on the upstream side of a gas meter set assembly in the boiler room of the Simon Kenton High School in Independence, Kentucky, pulled out of its connection with a 2-inch-diameter gas service line. Natural gas at 165-psig pressure escaped through the 2-inch-diameter opening and, seconds later, exploded and burned. A basement wall was blown down, an adjacent classroom was damaged, and one student was killed. About 30 minutes later, a second explosion occurred, which injured 37 persons and extensively damaged the school. The gas main was being uprated at the time.

1980 - On December 1, a pipeline carrying naphtha ruptured under a street in Long Beach, California, causing a fire that destroyed one home and damaged several others. Two people were injured. Lack of communication of pipeline valve setups, and pressure relief valves set to open at too high a pressure were identified by the NTSB as causes of the accident.

1980 - On December 1, a dirt pan machine being used for road construction hit a propane pipeline in Sumner, Georgia, causing slight injuries to the dirt pan operator. US Highway 82 and a rail line were closed, and several families evacuated until the vapors dispersed. There was no fire.

1980 - December 28, a natural gas pipeline exploded and burned at a gas plant in Ulysses, Kansas. There were no injuries.

0+5 1981 - On July 31, an ammonia pipeline leaked near Hutchinson, Kansas, injuring 5 people, including 3 children at a Bible Camp. A 2-mile (3.2 km) radius from the leak was evacuated, including 90 from the Bible Camp.

1981 - On August 25, in downtown San Francisco, California, a 16-inch natural gas main was punctured by a drill that an excavation contractor was using. Escaping natural gas blew upward and carried into the Embarcadero Complex and other nearby buildings. There was no ignition; however, the gas stream entrained an oil containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). Fall-out affected an eight-square-block area of the city's financial district covering buildings, cars, trees, pedestrians, police, and firemen. Approximately 30,000 persons were safely evacuated from the area in 45 minutes. No one was killed or seriously injured, although many persons were sprayed with the PCB oil mist. There were delays in shutting down the gas, due to inaccurate diagrams.

0+7 1981 - On September 15, during routine maintenance, a pipeline exploded and burned between a gas plant and a petroleum plant in Goldsmith, Texas. While workers were fighting the fire, another part of the pipeline burst and burned. 6 workers were burned, and another had other injuries. There were a total of 7 fires from 7 pipeline ruptures.

4+0 1981 - On September 27, a 12 inch diameter pipeline near Ackerly, Texas, was hit by a rathole drill, releasing an ethane-propane mix. There was then an explosion & fire that killed 4 people.

1+0 1981 - On November 30, at Flatwoods, West Virginia, gas, leaking into a test section of a 26-inch-diameter gas transmission pipeline, ignited as a welder engaged in installing an end cap placed a tack weld on the east end of a 180-foot (55 m)-long section of pipe. The resultant explosion blew off-the east end cap, which struck and killed the welder's helper.

1981 - On December 5, hunters near Yutan, Nebraska tried out a new high power rifle by shooting what they thought was a log in a creek bed. The log was actually an LPG pipeline, and 12 to 16 families needed to be evacuated for their safety from the resulting vapor cloud. There was no fire.

1981 - On December 31, a gas pipeline in Ottawa, Kansas caused 2 explosions and a raging fire that destroyed 2 mobile homes on December 31. There were no injuries reported.

0+5 1982 - On January 28, at Centralia, Missouri, natural gas at 47 psig entered a low pressure distribution system which normally operated at 0.40 psig after a backhoe bucket snagged, ruptured, and separated a 3/4-inch-diameter steel pressure regulator control line at a regulator station. The backhoe, which was owned and operated by the city of Centralia, was being used to clean a ditch located adjacent to the pressure regulator station. The high-pressure gas entering customer piping systems in some cases resulted in high pilot light flames which initiated fires in buildings; while in other cases, the pilot light flames were blown out, allowing gas to escape within the buildings. Of the 167 buildings affected by the overpressure, 12 were destroyed and 32 sustained moderate to heavy damages. Five persons received minor injuries.

1982 – On April 1, an LPG pipeline was ruptured by road construction in North Richland Hills, Texas. 800 to 1,000 nearby residents were evacuated. There was no fire. The construction crew workers said the pipeline was 5 feet (1.5 m) away from where it was shown on a map they were using.

6+0 1982 - On June 28, a natural gas explosion demolished a house, killed five persons, and critically injured one person in Portales, New Mexico; the critically injured person died later at a burn treatment center. The gas service line to the house had been damaged 37 days earlier when a contractor's backhoe pulled up the line during conduit excavation work for the local telephone company.

0+4 1982 - On September 7, natural gas at 15 psig escaping from the open ends of a 2 1/4-inch cast-iron gas main located in a deep, narrow excavation in Dublin, Georgia, was ignited by an unknown source. Four City of Dublin gas department employees who were working in the excavation were critically burned.

0+7 1982 – On October 1, a steel plate, which had been welded by a work crew to cap temporarily the open end of a section of a 22-inch diameter gas transmission pipeline, blew off at an initial pressure of possibly 260 psig. Escaping natural gas from the pipeline, which had accumulated due to a leak in a nearby gate valve, ignited almost immediately and the entire work area and a portion of U.S. Route 65 were momentarily engulfed in flames. Seven persons who were working to replace a section of the pipeline under the road about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, were burned.

1+0 1982 - On October 29, a crew mechanic working on new gas service lines at Burke, Virginia, was overcome by leaking gas and died.

5+0 1982 - On November 4, a tile plow installing field drainage tile on a farm located 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Hudson, Iowa, struck and punctured a well-marked, 20-inch natural gas transmission pipeline. Natural gas escaping at about 820 psig ignited immediately, and the ensuing fire killed five persons.

3+2 1982 - On December 8, a five-member crew was working on a gas compressor at Bonicord, Tennessee, when a gas explosion occurred. All five crew members were injured seriously, but were able to evacuate the building. One crew member died later that day, and two others died a few days later.

2+3 1983 - On February 1, a corroded gas service line caused a natural gas explosion and flash fire that destroyed a house, killed two persons, and injured three persons in Pryor, Oklahoma, and damaged an adjacent house.

1983 - On August 5, a gas pipeline failed and caused a fire with flames 250 to 300 feet (91 m) tall near Marlow, Oklahoma on February 15. There were no injuries.

5+5 1983 - On March 15, an 8-inch-diameter LPG pipeline was hit by a rotating auger used for planting trees near West Odessa, Texas. After several minutes, the escaping LPG at 1,060 psi ignited, killing 5 people and injuring 5 others. Flames went as high as 600 feet into the air.

0+3 1983 - On May 21, a 36-inch-diameter gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned in Caldwell, Ohio on May 21, destroying two homes, burning 100 acres of vegetation, and closing nearby Interstate 77. There were three minor injuries.

1983 - On July 19, a 16 inch diameter gas pipeline ruptures and burned near Athens, Texas. A nearby section of the same pipeline had ruptured the year before.

1983 - On September 23, gas service pressure surged up in a section of Boston, Massachusetts. 3 major structure fires, numerous smaller fires, and an explosion at a restaurant followed. There was no serious injuries. A flooded gas regulator vault was the cause.

1984 - On February 28, 1989 - an 8 inch NGL pipeline near Hurst, Texas, was hit by a front loader, and the escaping gases ignited, causing burns to the equipment operator.

0+5 984 - On June 19, six employees of a contractor working for Washington Gas Light Company (WGL) in Rockville, Maryland, were using mechanical saws to cut a section of 22 inch diameter steel pipeline when residual gas at atmospheric pressure in the isolated section of the pipeline was ignited. A flash fire ensued, and four contractor employees who were operating the saws and a WGL superintendent were burned.

1984 - In September, two natural gas pipelines exploded and burned near Falls City, Texas.

5+7 1984 - On September 24, a failed gas main of ABS plastic caused an explosion and fire in Phoenix, Arizona. 5 people died and 7 others injured in the accident. Liquid in the pipe had caused it to break down.

1984 - On October 16, a tugboat hit and ruptured a gas pipeline on the Houston Ship Channel on October 16. There were no injuries, but the Channel was closed for a time.

5+23 1984 - On November 25, a 30-inch gas transmission pipeline, constructed in 1955 and operating at 1,000 psig pressure, ruptured at a location about three miles (5 km) west of Jackson, Louisiana. Gas blowing from the rupture fractured the pipe into many pieces and created a hole in the earth about 90 feet (27 m) long, 25 feet (7.6 m) wide, and 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. The escaping gas was quickly ignited by one of several potential sources of ignition. The resulting fire incinerated an area extending from the rupture about 950 feet (290 m) north, 500 feet (150 m) south, and 180 feet (55 m) to the east and to the west. Within this sparsely populated area, five persons involved with the pipeline construction work were killed, and 23 persons were injured. Additionally, several pieces of construction equipment were damaged extensively. Lack of proper ground support under the pipeline when a nearby section of that pipeline was upgraded and replaced was identified as a factor in the failure.

0+11 1985 - On January 8, natural gas from a leaking line traveled through soil and caused a massive gas explosion in El Paso, Texas. Eleven people were injured, 2 homes were destroyed, and 88 other homes were damaged by the blast.

2+1 1985 - On February 22, 1985, a police patrolman on routine patrol smelled strong natural gas odors in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. A gas serviceman was ordered to the scene. Before the serviceman arrived at the site of the reported leak, the Sharpsville Inn and a connecting building exploded and burned, killing two persons. Firefighters arriving on scene moments later encountered a second, smaller explosion, which injured one firefighter. The delay in the gas serviceman getting to the incident was a contributing factor.

5+3 1985 - On April 27, a 30 inch diameter gas pipeline operating at about 960 psi, weakened by atmospheric corrosion, ruptured, and tore out about 29 feet (8.8 m) of the carrier pipe, blew apart about 16 feet (4.9 m) of a 36-inch-diameter casing pipe, blasted an opening across Kentucky State Highway 90, and cut out a pear-shaped crater approximately 90 feet (27 m) long, 38 feet (12 m) wide, and 12 feet (3.7 m) deep near Beaumont, Kentucky. 5 people were killed in one home, and 3 injured. The fireball from the incident could be seen 20 miles away.

6+14 1985 - On December 6, a natural gas explosion and fire destroyed the River Restaurant in Derby, Connecticut. Gas escaping from a broken gas main at a pressure of about 1 pound per square inch had escaped, migrated into the restaurant basement, ignited, exploded, and burned. Of the 18 persons inside the restaurant at the time, 6 were killed and 12 were injured; 1 passerby and 1 firefighter were also injured. After the accident the street adjacent to the restaurant was excavated where a 24 inch diameter sewer system had just been installed; An 87-year-old, 3-inch diameter, cast-iron natural gas main was found broken.

0+8 1986 - On February 21, a 30 inch gas pipeline ruptured due to corrosion near Lancaster, Kentucky. 3 people had serious burns, and 5 others had lesser injuries. External corrosion made worse by difficulties of Cathodic protection in rocky soil was the cause.

0+22 1986 - On March 12, a backhoe snagged a natural gas distribution line in Fort Worth, TX, causing a break that leaked gas into an unoccupied building. Later, that building exploded, injuring 22 people, destroying the unoccupied building, and damaging 40 other buildings. 57 automobiles in the unoccupied building were damaged or destroyed.

1+1 1986 - On March 13, a new water main was being installed in Chicago Heights, Illinois. While excavating, an active gas service line was snagged. Gas company crews responded to the wrong site, causing delays in getting the leaking gas line shut down. Just as crews finished closing the valve on the leaking line, the nearby house exploded and began to burn; one of the two persons inside this house was killed, and the other was injured. Two neighboring houses were damaged, and one gas company employee, two construction crew members, and four persons in the general area were injured by the explosion and subsequent fire. Although gas company personnel arrived on the scene approximately 10 minutes before the explosion and shut off the gas at the meter, neither they nor the contractor's crew had made an effort to warn or evacuate the residents of the house.

1986 - On July 12, a gas transmission pipeline fails and burns in a compressor station near Prattville, Alabama. The fire spread by melting flange gaskets on 2 other gas transmission pipelines in the station. 4 homes and several cars were destroyed in the following fire, with flames reaching 300 feet (91 m) high. There were no injuries.

1986 - In September, petroleum products pipeline failed near Billings, Montana, causing the evacuation of nearby businesses. There was no fire.

0+14 1986 - On September 8, a pipeline failed under the Red River near Gainesville, Texas. Fumes from the pipeline sent 14 to hospitals for treatment.

1986 - On December 6, a 30 inch natural gas pipe line under Pelahatchie Bay in Mississippi exploded near the water's edge on the north shore of the bay.

0+2 1987 - On March 26, work crew burning the remains of a house near Ladysmith, Virginia ruptured a nearby petroleum products pipeline with a bulldozer, igniting diesel fuel from the line. 2 of the worker were injured.

*1987 - On April 4, an LPG pipeline exploded at a Terminal in Iowa City, Iowa. Due to the fire spreading to a pipeline for nearby underground gas storage, residents within a 2 1/2 mile radius of the Terminal were evacuated for a time. The fire burned until April 20. The cause was an ERW seam failure in a pipeline. During a hydrostatic test of that pipeline, 20 more pipeline segment seams failed.

2+0 1987 - In July, a fishing vessel, working in shallow waters off Louisiana, the menhaden purse seiner Sea Chief, struck and ruptured an 8" natural gas liquids pipeline operating at 480 psi. The resulting explosion killed two crew members. Divers investigating found that the pipe, installed in 1968, was covered with only 6" of soft mud, having lost its original 3-foot (0.91 m) cover of sediments.

1+18 1987 - In August, a gas leak on a busy road in Wilmington, North Carolina suddenly ignited while while gas company workers were trying to plug that leak, burning them and firefighters on standby nearby in August. 19 people were burned, with a fire department Assistant Chief later dying from the burns he received.

1988 - In January, the rupture of a large interstate gas line at Pocono Ridge development in Lehman Township, Pennsylvania, left a crater about 8 feet (2.4 m) deep and ejected a 6-foot (1.8 m) section of pipe over the treetops before it landed 50 yards away. One hundred thirty people were evacuated. No one was injured.

0+4 1988 - On January 18, a natural gas explosion destroyed the building housing the K&W Cafeteria and the lobby of the Sheraton Motor Inn at Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Two adjoining motel wings suffered structural damage. Of the four persons in the lobby/cafeteria building at the time of the explosion, all sustained minor injuries.

1988 - On July 22, a pair of MAPCO LPG/NGL pipelines failed in an explosion south of Topeka, Kansas. 200 nearby residents had to be evacuated, and there was serious damage to US Route 75 nearby from the explosion & following fire. An ERW seam selective corrosion failure in one of the pipelines caused the failure.

0+4 1988 - On August 31, a gas company crew struck and ruptured a fitting on a 4-inch plastic gas main in Green Oaks, Illinois. While the crew was attempting to excavate a nearby valve to shut off the flow of gas, the backhoe struck an unmarked power cable. The gas ignited and four gas company employees were injured.

0+4 1988 On September 16, a natural gas explosion in Overland Park, Kansas, involved gas leaking from corrosion holes in the customer-owned line. Gas migrated underground to the house and was ignited. The house was destroyed and the four residents were injured.

1+5 1988 - On November 25, natural gas explosion and fire in Kansas City, Missouri, involving a break in a customer owned service line at a threaded joint that was affected by corrosion. One person was killed and five persons injured in the explosion that severely damaged the residence.

2+0 1989 - On February 10, a natural gas explosion and fire in Oak Grove, Missouri, involved the failure of a customer owned service line at a threaded joint. Two persons were killed and their house was destroyed in the explosion.

1+0 1989 - On March 25, a leaking gas distribution line caused an explosion in Topeka, Kansas, killing one person. This was the latest in a string of gas distribution line failures that lead to an NTSB investigation into the regional gas company. 600,000 gas services lines were replaced as a result of the investigation.

11+3 1989 - On October 3, the United States menhaden' fishing vessel Northumberland, owned and operated by the Zapata Haynie Corporation (vessel owner), was backing and maneuvering in 9 to 11 feet (3.4 m) of water when the stern of the vessel struck and ruptured an offshore 16 inch natural gas transmission pipeline. Natural gas under 835 pounds per square inch pressure was released. An undetermined source on board the vessel ignited the gas, and within seconds, the entire vessel was engulfed in flames. The fire on the vessel burned until 4:30 a.m. on October 4, when it burned itself out. Leaking gas from the pipeline also continued to burn until the flow of gas subsided and the fire self-extinguished about 6 a.m. on October 4. 11 of 14 crew members died as a result of the accident.

1+4 1989 - On October 25, an explosion at a valve in a natural gas processing station near Evanston, Wyoming kills one worker, and injures 4 others.

1989 - On December 8, a farmer hit a propane pipeline near Butler, Illinois, forcing evacuation of that town. There was no fire.

3+0 1989 - In December, New York City Con Edison Steam Pipe exploded, rupture killing three people in the 3rd Ave./Gramercy Park area.

2+7 1990 - On March 13, a propane pipeline ruptured and burned, near North Blenheim, New York. Stress from previous work done on the pipeline caused a pipeline rupture and vapor cloud that moved downhill into a town. Two people were killed, seven persons injured, and more than $4 million in property damage and other costs resulted when the cloud ignited.

1+9 1990 On August 29, a natural gas explosion and fire destroyed two row houses and damaged two adjacent houses and three parked cars in Allentown, Pennsylvania. One person was killed, and nine people, including two firefighters, were injured. A cracked gas main, that was stressed by soil erosion from a nearby broken water line, was the cause of the gas leak.

2+24 1990 - On December 9, a gas system valve between one of Fort Benjamin Harrison Indianapolis, Indiana gas distribution systems and a discontinued steel gas system segment was inadvertently opened, allowing natural gas to enter residential buildings that had previously received their gas from the discontinued segment. Gas accumulating in Building 1025 of Harrison Village was ignited by one of many available sources, and the resulting explosion killed 2 occupants and injured 24 other persons One building was destroyed, and two were damaged.

1991 - On March 2, a ruptured propane pipeline forced the evacuation of 2,500 from several subdivisions in Richland County, South Carolina for a time. There was no fire.

1+5 1991 - On July 17, workers were removing a corroded segment of the Consumers Power Company’s (CP) 10-inch-diameter transmission line pipeline in Mapleton, Michigan. As a segment of the pipeline was being removed, natural gas at 360-psig pressure exerted about 12 tons of force on an adjacent closed valve (H-143), causing it and a short segment of connected pipe to move and separate from an unanchored compression coupling. The force of the escaping gas killed one worker (a welder), injured five other workers, and collapsed a steel pit that housed valve H-143.

2+3 1991 - On December 28, two explosions in rapid succession occurred in apartment No. 3 of a two-story, eight-apartment, wood-frame structure in Santa Rosa, California. Two people were killed and three others were injured. Fire after the explosions destroyed that apartment and three other apartments in the front of the building.

4+4 1992 - On January 17, while a gas company crew was doing routine annual maintenance work at a regulator stations in Chicago, Illinois, high-pressure gas entered a low-pressure system. The gas—under as much as 10 psig of pressure—escaped through gas appliances into homes and other buildings, where it was ignited by several unidentified sources. The resulting explosion and fires killed 4 people, injured 4, and damaged 14 houses and 3 commercial buildings.

3+21 1992 - On April 7, a salt dome cavern used to store LPG & similar products was overfilled, leading to an uncontrolled release of highly volatile liquids (HVLs) from a salt dome storage cavern near Brenham, Texas, formed a large, heavier-than-air gas cloud that later exploded. Three people died from injuries sustained either from the blast or in the following fire. An additional 21 people were treated for injuries at area hospitals. Damage from the accident exceeded $9 million.

1+3 1992 - On November 6, a natural gas explosion destroyed a house in Catskill (town), New York. The two-story wood-frame house had not had active gas service since 1969. The explosion killed a woman in the house, seriously injured her daughter, and slightly injured two children in a neighboring house. Gas had escaped from a nearby cracked gas main.

0+6 1992 - On December 3, a ruptured natural gas liquid pipeline caused a vapor cloud to drift across I-70 near Aurora, Colorado. The Cloud later ignited, burning 6 motorists.

3+3 1993 - On June 9, a cinder block duplex at in Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey, exploded as a New Jersey Natural Gas Company (NJNG) contractor was trenching in front of the building. The explosion killed 3 residents of the duplex, and seriously injured 3 others.

3+12 1993 - On July 22, a city of St. Paul Department of Public Works backhoe hooked and pulled apart a Northern States Power Company (NSP) high-pressure gas service line in St. Paul, Minnesota. An explosion and natural gas-fueled fire resulted about 20 minutes after the backhoe hooked the service line. The explosion force caused part of the building to land on and flatten an automobile traveling southwest on East Third Street, and the driver died instantly. The explosion and ensuing fire also killed an apartment occupant and a person outside the building and injured 12 people.

0+7 1993 - On August 20, an ammonia pipeline failed in Sperry, Oklahoma. 80 homes in the area were evacuated. Several people were treated for ammonia inhalation injuries.

1993 - On December 30, an explosion and fire on a gas transmission pipeline, near Mellen, Wisconsin, cut off the gas supply to 3,500 customers in the area.

1994 - On February 1, the third explosion in 7 years hit a LPG/NGL pipeline Terminal in Iowa City, Iowa. 11 workers at the Terminal escaped injury, and 6 families within 1 1/2 miles of the Terminal were evacuated. The 2 previous explosions were in 1987 and 1989.

1+>92 1994 - On March 24, the Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion and Fire : Previous damage caused a 36 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline to rupture at Edison, New Jersey. Several apartment buildings were destroyed in the massive fire. One woman died of a heart attack, and at least 93 others had minor injuries. Delays in shutting off one of the pipeline's valves was cited as contributing to the damage.

1+66 1994 - On June 9, a 2-inch-diameter steel gas service line that had been exposed during excavation separated at a compression coupling about 5 feet (1.5 m) from the wall of a retirement home in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The escaping gas flowed underground, passed through openings in the building foundation, migrated to other floors, and exploded. The accident resulted in 1 fatality, 66 injuries, and more than $5 million in property damage.

6+6 1994 - On October 17, a natural gas explosion and fire destroyed a one-story, wood frame building in Waterloo, Iowa. The force of the explosion scattered debris over a 200-foot (61 m) radius. 6 persons inside the building died, and one person sustained serious injuries. 3 persons working in an adjacent building sustained minor injuries when a wall of the building collapsed inward from the force of the explosion. The explosion also damaged nine parked cars. A person in a vehicle who had just exited the adjacent building suffered minor injuries. Additionally, two firefighters sustained minor injuries during the emergency response. Two other nearby buildings also sustained structural damage and broken windows.

1995 - On March 6, a 26 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline ruptured and burned near Castle Rock, Washington. There were no injuries.

1995 - On March 20, a natural gas transmission pipeline leaked and burned near Chipola, Louisiana. There were no injuries reported.

1+0 1995 - On March 27, a bulldozer operator ruptured a 40 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline in Huntersville, North Carolina, causing an explosion. The operator was knocked off the bulldozer, then was run over by the driverless bulldozer.

3+1 1995 - On December 2, 3 contractors were killed, and another injured, when a vacuum used to control flammable fumes accidentally reversed during welding at a pipeline facility near McCamey, Texas.

1995 - On December 9, a bulldozer hit a 16 inch diameter gas pipeline in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, forcing evacuations of a nearby shopping mall. An estimated 40,000 people were evacuated.

2+1 1995 - On December 19, a gas explosion at a twin dwelling in Norristown, Pennsylvania, killed 2 people and injured another person. Gas had migrated from a crack in a 6 inch cast iron gas main in the street.

2+0 1996 - On August 24, q Koch butane pipeline ruptured, causing an explosion and fire, near Kemp, Texas. Two teenagers were killed after driving into the unseen butane cloud while going to report the pipeline leak. A mobile home was also destroyed by the fire. The leak was caused by external corrosion. The pipeline was only 15 years old at the time.

1996 - On October 23, in Tiger Pass, Louisiana, the crew of a Bean Horizon Corporation dredge dropped a stern spud into the bottom of the channel in preparation for dredging operations. The spud struck and ruptured a 12-inch-diameter submerged natural gas steel pipeline. The pressurized natural gas released from the pipeline enveloped the stern of the dredge and an accompanying tug, then ignited, destroying the dredge and the tug. No fatalities resulted from the accident.

1996 - On November 5, a pipeline in Murfreesboro, Tennessee was undergoing maintenance. The pipeline was returned to service, but a valve on that pipeline was accidentally left closed from the maintenance, causing pressure to rupture the pipeline.

33+69 1996 - On November 21, an explosion occurred in a shoe store and office building in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Thirty-three people were killed, and at least 69 were injured. Crews from the local gas provider, Enron, had not found any gas leaks previously, despite complaints of propane odor in the buildings.

1+1 1997 - On July 21, a gas pipeline rupture and fire, in Indianapolis, Indiana. A 20-inch-diameter steel natural gas transmission pipeline ruptured and released natural gas near an intersection adjoining the Charter Pointe subdivision. The gas ignited and burned, killing one resident and injuring another. About 75 residents required temporary shelter. Six homes were destroyed, and about 65 others sustained damage significant enough to be documented by the local investigation team. A nearby directional drilling operation had hit & weakened the pipeline before the failure.

1+3 1998 - On July 7 - Natural Gas Explosion and Fire, South Riding, Virginia. A natural gas explosion and fire destroyed a newly constructed residence in the South Riding community in Loudoun County, Virginia. A family consisting of a husband and wife and their two children were spending their first night in their new home at the time of the explosion. As a result of the accident, the wife was killed, the husband was seriously injured, and the two children received minor injuries. Five other homes and two vehicles were damaged.

0+5 1998 - On August 13, lightning struck a Florida Gas Transmission Co. natural gas compressor plant near Perry, Florida on August 13, causing an explosion and massive fire. A second explosion later followed, injuring 5 firefighters & pipeline company employees. 6 nearby homes were also destroyed.

0+4 1998 - On December 3, a natural gas liquids pipeline near Moab, Utah failed and ignited near Highway U-191, injuring 4 pipeline workers. Asphalt in the road was melted, and traffic was stopped.

4+11 1998 - On December 11, natural gas pipeline rupture and subsequent explosion, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. While attempting to install a utility pole support anchor in a city sidewalk in St. Cloud, Minnesota, a communications network installation crew struck and ruptured an underground, 1-inch-diameter, high-pressure plastic gas service pipeline, thereby precipitating a natural gas leak. About 39 minutes later, while utility workers and emergency response personnel were taking preliminary precautions and assessing the situation, an explosion occurred. As a result of the explosion, 4 persons were fatally injured; 1 person was seriously injured; and 10 persons, including 2 firefighters and 1 police officer, received minor injuries. Six buildings were destroyed. Damage assessments estimated property losses at $399,000.

1999 - On January 3 - Natural Gas Explosion and Fire at a gas pressure station, Wytheville, Virginia, destroying a home and motorcycle store.

3+6 1999 - On January 22, in Bridgeport, Alabama, while digging a trench behind a building, a backhoe operator damaged a 3/4-inch steel natural gas service line and a 1-inch water service line. This resulted in two leaks in the natural gas service line, which was operated at 35 psig. One leak occurred where the backhoe bucket had contacted and pulled the natural gas service line. The other was a physical separation of the gas service line at an underground joint near the meter, which was close to the building. Gas migrated into a building nearby, where it ignited. An explosion followed, destroying three buildings. Other buildings within a two-block area of the explosion sustained significant damage. Three fatalities, five serious injuries, and one minor injury resulted from this accident.

0+2 1999 - On November 19, 2 men were injured in Salt Flat, Texas, when a leaking 8 inch diameter propane pipeline explodes. 2 school buses had passed through the area moments before the explosion.

12+0 2000 - August 19 - A 30 inch diameter El Paso Natural Gas pipeline rupture and fire near Carlsbad, New Mexico killed 12 members of an extended Family camping over 600 feet (180 m) from the rupture point. The force of the rupture and the violent ignition of the escaping gas created a 51-foot (16 m)-wide crater about 113 feet (34 m) along the pipe. A 49-foot (15 m) section of the pipe was ejected from the crater in three pieces measuring approximately 3 feet (0.91 m), 20 feet (6.1 m), and 26 feet (7.9 m) in length. The largest piece of pipe was found about 287 feet (87 m) northwest of the crater. The cause of the failure was determined to be severe internal corrosion of that pipeline. On July 26, 2007, a USDOJ Consent Decree was later entered into by the pipeline owner to do pipeline system upgrades to allow better internal pipeline inspections.

2000 - September 8 - For the second time in 24 hours, a state contractor building a noise wall along the I-475 in Toledo, Ohio struck an underground pipeline, and for a second time the contractor blamed faulty pipeline mapping for the accident. In this incident, the pipe was a six-inch gas pipeline. The crew was digging a hole with an auger for a noise-wall support on September 8, when it hit the underground pipe less than 500 meters from the previous day's incident.

1+0 2000 - On September 7, a Bulldozer ruptured a 12 inch diameter NGL pipeline on Rt. 36, south of Abilene, Texas. An Abilene police detective, with 21 years of service, was severely burned and later died. Nearby, a woman saved herself by going underwater in her swimming pool. Her house was destroyed by the explosion & fire. The owner of the pipeline, ExxonMobil, was later fined by the Texas Railroad Commission for the pipeline not being marked.

2001 - On March 22, a 12-inch natural gas pipeline exploded in Weatherford, Texas. No one was injured, but the blast created a hole in the ground about 15 feet (4.6 m) in diameter and the explosion was felt several miles away.

2001 - On May 1, a 10 inch diameter propane pipeline exploded and burned in Platte County, Missouri.

0+>10 2001 - On June 13, in Pensacola, Florida, at least ten persons were injured when two natural gas lines ruptured and exploded after a parking lot gave way beneath a cement truck at a car dealership. The blast sent chunks of concrete flying across a four-lane road, and several employees and customers at neighboring businesses were evacuated. About 25 cars at the dealership and 10 boats at a neighboring business were damaged or destroyed.

2001 - On July 24, a pipeline ruptures and spreads burning gasoline near Manheim, Pennsylvania.

2001 - On August 11, at approximately 5:05 a.m. MST, a 24 inch gas pipeline failed near Williams, Arizona, resulting in the release of natural gas. The natural gas continued to discharge for about an hour before igniting.

2002 - On March 15, a failure occurred on a 36 inch gas pipeline near Crystal Falls, Michigan. The failure resulted in a release of gas, which did not ignite, that created a crater 30 feet (9.1 m) deep, 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, and 120 feet (37 m) long. There were no deaths or injuries.

2002 - On June 20, PHMSA ordered ordered Columbia Gas Transmission Company to do extensive repair to one of their gas transmission pipelines in the states of Pennsylvania & New York after finding extensive wall thin on sections of that pipeline caused by external corrosion. Approximately 800 anomalies with wall thickness losses of greater than 65 percent were found during a smart pig examination, with 76 of the found anomalies having a wall thickness loss of greater than 80 percent. Many of the affected sections of pipe were older sections lacking coating, which is known to reduce external corrosion on pipelines.

2002 - On August 5, a natural gas pipeline exploded and caught fire west of Rt. 622, on Poca River Road near Lanham, West Virginia. Emergency workers evacuated three or four families. Kanawha and Putnam Counties in the area were requested Shelter-In-Place. Parts of the Pipeline were thrown hundreds of yards away, around, and across Poca River. The Fire was not contained for several hours because valves to shutdown line did not exist. The Orange Glow from the fire at 11 PM; could be seen for several miles.

2003 - On February 2, a natural gas pipeline ruptured near Viola, Illinois, resulting in the release of natural gas which ignited. A l6-foot long section of the pipe fractured into three sections, which were ejected to distances of about 300 yards from the failure site.

2003 - On March 23, a 24 inch diameter gas pipeline near Eaton, Colorado exploded. The explosion sent flames 160 meters in the air and sent thousands of Weld County residents into a panic, but no one was injured. The heat from the flames melted the siding of two nearby homes and started many smaller grass fires.

2003 - On May 1, a 26 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline failed near Lake Tapps, Washington. A neighboring elementary school, a supermarket, and 30 to 40 homes in approximately a 4-mile (6.4 km) area were evacuated. There was no fire or injuries. Land movement was suspected, and had caused 4 previous failures on this pipeline in the previous 8 years.

2003 - On May 8, an 8 inch diameter LPG pipeline failed near Lebanon, Ohio. About 80 homes and one school in the area were evacuated. There was no fire or injuries.

2003 - On May 21, a 30 inch diameter gas pipeline exploded and burned near Nederland, Texas.

0+13 2003 - On July 2, excavation damage to a natural gas distribution line resulted in an explosion and fire in Wilmington, Delaware. A contractor hired by the city of Wilmington to replace sidewalk and curbing, dug into an unmarked natural gas service line with a backhoe. Although the service line did not leak where it was struck, the contact resulted in a break in the line inside the basement of a nearby building, where gas began to accumulate. A manager for the contractor said that he did not smell gas and therefore did not believe there was imminent danger and that he called an employee of the gas company and left a voice mail message. At approximately 1:44p.m., an explosion destroyed two residences and damaged two others to the extent that they had to be demolished. Other nearby residences sustained some damage, and the residents on the block were displaced from their homes for about a week. Three contractor employees sustained serious injuries. Eleven additional people sustained minor injuries.

2003 - On September 26, A propane pipeline at the Phillips Petroleum storage facility in Cahokia, Illinois ruptured, sending flames high into the air and sparking small grass fires in the area.

2003 - On November 2, a Texas Eastern Transmission natural gas pipeline exploded in Bath County, Kentucky, about 1.5 km south of a Duke Energy pumping station. A fire burned for about an hour before firefighters extinguished it. No one was injured and no property damage was reported.

2+0 2004 - On August 21, a natural gas explosion destroyed a residence located at in DuBois, Pennsylvania. Two residents were killed in this accident. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the leak, explosion, and fire was the fracture of a defective butt-fusion joint.

2004 - On September 26, a vandal started up a trackhoe at a construction site in New Caney, Texas, and dug into a propylene pipeline. The escaping propylene ignited, causing nearby residents to evacuate. There were no injuries reported.

2004 - On September 27, 2004, near Blair, Nebraska, an ammonia pipeline failed, releasing 193,213 pounds of ammonia.

2004 - On November 1, a construction crew ruptured a high-pressure gas line in Little Rock, Arkansas1, near one of the state's busiest intersections Monday, triggering a fire that melted traffic lights that hung overhead. No one was injured.

0+9 2004 - On November 8, a NGL pipeline failed in a housing division in Ivel, Kentucky. The vapor cloud from the leak ignited, seriously burning a Kentucky State Trooper evacuating those living in the area. 8 others were injured and 5 homes were destroyed. The pipeline had 11 previous corrosion failures, and is only 65 miles (105 km) long.

2004 - On December 52, employees were performing maintenance on a propane pipeline near Mantador, North Dakota on December 15, when a gasket on the pipeline's valve failed, causing a leak. Nearby resident were evacuated, and a rail line was shut down temporarily. There were no injuries.

0+2 2005 - On May 13, an underground natural gas pipeline exploded near Marshall, Texas, sending a giant fireball into the sky and hurling a 160-foot (49 m) section of pipe onto the grounds of a nearby electric power generating plant. 2 people were hurt. The OPS concluded that stress corrosion cracking was the culprit.

1+0 2005 - On September 19, a pipeline pumping station employee was killed in Monroe, Ohio, when leaking propane was ignited and exploded by an arcing pump. Flames reached 300 feet (91 m) high in the following fire.

0+1 2005 - On December 6, a natural gas compressor station exploded near Rifle, Colorado, about 200 yards from Interstate 70. There was only one minor injury to a nearby truck driver.

3+4 2005 - On December 13, workers removing an underground oil tank in Bergenfield, New Jersey undermined a 1 1/4 inch steel gas pipeline. The gas line later failed, causing an explosion. Three residents of a nearby apartment building were killed. Four other residents and a tank removal worker were injured. Failure to evacuate the apartment building after the gas line ruptured was listed as a contributing factor.

2006 - In January or February, a gas compressor station explosion severely burned a worker, and set off a raging fire near DeBeque, Colorado. A second explosion at that site soon after caused no injuries.

2006 - On July 22, a Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company gas transmission pipeline ruptured, resulting in an estimated release of 42,946,000 cu ft (1,216,100 m3) of natural gas near Clay City in Clark County, Kentucky. The gas ignited, but there were no injuries, and just minor property damage. External corrosion was suspected.

1+0 2006 - On November 11, a jet-black, 300-acre (1.2 km2) burn site surrounded the skeletal hulk of a bulldozer that struck a natural-gas pipeline, and produced a powerful explosion 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the Wyoming-Colorado line. The bulldozer operator was killed.

2007 - On July 18 - 2007 New York City steam explosion.

0+>300 2007 - On early October 18, a ethylene pipeline explosion was heard for miles around Port Arthur, Texas, waking residents. The following fire spread to a nearby butadiene, causing it to rupture & burn. Later, over 300 residents sued the pipeline's owners for health issues claimed to be caused from the chemicals released by the accident. External corrosion of the ethylene pipeline caused the first pipeline failure.

2+5 2007 - On November 1, a 12 inch diameter propane pipeline explodes, killing two and injuring five others near Carmichael, Mississippi on November 1. The NTSB determined the probable cause was likely an ERW seam failure. Inadequate education of residents near the pipeline about the existence of a nearby pipeline and how to respond to a pipeline accident were also cited as a factors in the deaths.

2007 - On November 12, three teen boys drilled into an ammonia pipeline in Tampa Bay, Florida, causing an ammonia leak, and later claimed they did it due to stories of money being hidden inside that pipeline. The leak took 2 days to be capped. One of the teens had serious chemical burns from the ammonia. Residents within a half miles from the leak were evacuated. PHMSA later noted the pipeline company failed to adequately pre-plan for emergencies with the local Fire Agency, as required by CFR.

2008 - On February 5, a natural gas pipeline compressor station exploded and caught fire near Hartsville, Tennessee, and was believed to have been caused by a tornado hitting the facility.

2008 - On February 15, a 20 inch gas pipeline exploded and burned in Hidalgo County, Texas, closing road FM490.

2008 - On August 28, a 36 inch diameter gas pipeline failed near Stairtown, Texas, causing a fire with flames 400 feet (120 m) tall. The failure was caused by external corrosion.

2008 - On August 29, a 24 inch gas transmission pipeline ruptured in Cooper County, Missouri. Corrosion had caused the pipeline to lose 75% of its wall thickness in the failure area.

0+2 2008 - On September 9, workers constructing a new pipeline hit an existing natural gas pipeline in Wheeler County, Texas. 2 workers were burned by this accident.

2008 - On September 14, a 30 inch diameter gas pipeline ruptured & gas ignited near Appomattox, Virginia. 2 homes were destroyed by the fire. External corrosion was the cause of the failure.

2008 - On the night of November 15, a gas compressor for a pipeline at an entry exploded & burned near Godley, Texas. The fire spread to another company's gas compressor station next to it. A 24 inch diameter gas pipeline had to be shut down to stop the fire. There were no injuries, and damages were estimated at 2 million dollars.

2009 - On January 15, an accidental massive gas release at Pump Station 1 of the trans-Alaskan pipeline (Alyeska Pipeline Service Company) threatened the site at the time. The company that runs the pipeline acknowledges a fire or explosion, had the gas ignited, could have imperiled the station's 60-plus workers and caused "an extended shutdown" of oil fields. There was no ignition or explosion. The incident occurred as BP workers used a cleaning device called a pig to swab oil out of an old pipeline the company was preparing to decommission. The pipe, 34 inches in diameter, was among major Prudhoe trunk lines found in 2006 to be ravaged with corrosion, due to BP's admitted lack of proper maintenance. A large volume of gas then bypassed the pig somehow, and rushed to Pump Station 1, a key asset through which every drop of oil coming off the North Slope must pass.

2009 - On February 1, a gas pipeline explosion rocked the area 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Carthage, Texas.

0+2 2009 - On May 4, a gas pipeline bursts near Hobe City, Florida, injuring 2 people on the Florida Turnpike from flying debris. The escaping gas did not ignite.

2009 - On May 6, a natural gas pipeline explodes and catches fire near Rockville, IN in Parke County, about 24 miles (39 km) north of Terre Haute, Indiana. PHMSA indicated the possibility of external corrosion in its Corrective Action Order (CAO) to the pipeline company. Pictures have been released around the area showing the damage caused. 49 homes were evacuated in a one-mile (1.6 km) area of the explosion. No injuries reported.

2009 - On October 7, a leaking pipeline carrying jet fuel was accidentally ignited by a pipeline repair crew in Upton County, Texas.

0+2 2009 - On November 5, Bushland, Texas, two people were hurt when a El Paso Natural Gas pipeline exploded in the Texas Panhandle. The explosion on early Thursday, November 5, left a hole about 30 yards by 20 yards and close to 15 feet (4.6 m) deep. The blast shook homes, melted window blinds and shot flames hundreds of feet into the air. The home nearest the blast — about 100 yards away- was destroyed, and 3 residents from that homes were injured. About 200 residents in the area were evacuated. Bushland is in Potter County, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Amarillo. The failure was in an abandoned tap, but the exact failure reason remains unknown.

2009 - On Novemebr 14, a fire at a gas compressor station near Cameron, West Virginia slightly burns one employee, and causes $5.6 million of damage to the facility.

2009 - On Novemeber 14, a newly built 42 inch gas transmission pipeline near Philo, Ohio failed on the second day of operation. There was no fire, but evacuations resulted. Several indications of pipe deformation were found.

1+0 2010 - In January, a gas pipeline exploded near Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, killing a pipeline employee.

2010 - On February 1, a plumber trying to unclog a sewer line in St. Paul, Minnesota ruptured a gas service line that has been "cross bored" through the house's sewer line. The plumber & resident escape the home moments before as an explosion & following fire destroyed the home. The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety ordered that gas utility, Xcel, to check for more cross bored gas lines. In the following year, 25,000 sewer lines inspected showed 57 other cross bored gas lines. In Louisville, Kentucky, 430 gas line cross bores were found in 200 miles (320 km) of a sewer project, including some near schools and a hospital. The NTSB had cited such cross bore incidents as a known hazard since 1976.

2010 - On March 15, a 24 inch diameter gas pipeline bursts, but did not ignite near Pampa, Texas.

1+6 2010 - On June 7, a 36 inch diameter gas pipeline explosion and fire in Johnson County, Texas, was caused by workers installing poles for electrical lines. One worker killed, and six were injured. Confusion over the location and status of the construction work lead to the pipeline not being marked beforehand.

2+0 2010 - On June 8, construction workers hit an unmarked 14 inch gas gathering pipeline near Darrouzett, Texas. Two workers were killed.

0+1 2010 - On August 24, a gas compressor station in Shongaloo, Louisiana on August 24 injured 1 worker.

0+1 2010 - On August 25, a construction crew installing a gas pipeline in Roberts County, Texas hits an unmarked pipeline on August 25, seriously burning one man.

2010 - On August 27, a LPG pipeline sprang a leak in Gilboa, New York, forcing the evacuation of 23 people.

4+>51 2010 - On September 9, a natural gas pipeline in San Bruno, California, exploded, killing 4, injuring at least 52 and levelled dozens of homes.














1+3 2010 - On September 28, a repair crew was working on a corroded gas pipe in Cairo, Georgia, when the line exploded. One crew member was killed, and 3 others burned.

2010 - On October 15, a gas pipeline under construction in Grand Prairie, Texas was running a cleaning pig without a pig "trap" at the end of the pipe. The 150 pound pig was expelled from the pipeline with enough force to fly 500 feet (150 m), and crash through the side of a house. No one was injured.

0+3 2010 - On November 12, three men working on natural gas lines were injured when a pipeline ruptured in Monroe, Louisiana.

2010 - On November 30, a Tennessee Gas Pipeline 30 inch diameter gas pipeline failed at Natchitoches, Louisiana. There was no fire, but the pipeline had a Magnetic Flux smart pig test earlier in the year that indicated no flaws in the pipeline. The failure was at a crack in a wrinkle bend. The deadly 1965 gas pipeline accident occurred on a different pipeline owned by the same company nearby.
2010 - On December 17, a gas line fire and explosion just outside of Corpus Christi, Texas city limits leaves one person critically injured. A man was working on removing an abandoned pipeline when it exploded, and the man's face was severely burned.

2010 - On December 28, a pipeline at an underground gas storage facility in Covington County, Mississippi, forcing the evacuation of about 2 dozen families for over a week.

1+6 2011 - On January 18, a gas main being repaired in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania explodes, killing a repair crew member and injuring 6 others.

2011 - On January 24, gas pressure regulators failed and caused a gas pressure surge in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, causing gas fires in 11 homes, and one apartment. 150 gas appliances were damaged or destroyed, but there were no injuries.

5+0/3+23 2011 - On February 9, 5 people are killed, and 8 homes were destroyed in an apparent gas explosion and fire in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The NTSB had warned UGI about cast iron gas mains needing replacement after the 1990 gas explosion in that city. Between 1976 and the date of the letter, July 10, 1992, two more gas explosions occurred. Three people were killed, 23 injured and 11 homes were destroyed or damaged in those explosions. UGI was cited in 2012 for several safety violations, including a lack of valves on their gas system.

2011 - On February 10, a Tennessee Gas Pipeline 36 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline exploded & burned near Lisbon, Ohio. No injuries resulted. The cause was from stress on a girth weld on the pipeline. A failure on another girth weld on the pipeline system led to a PHMSA Consent Agreement.

2011- On March 17, a 20-inch steel natural gas line running through a Minneapolis, Minnesota neighborhood ruptured and gas from it ignited, caused evacuations to buildings nearby, and Interstate 35W was closed from downtown Minneapolis to Highway 62. There were no injuries.

2011 - On July 20, a six month old 30 inch diameter natural gas pipeline exploded near Gillette, Wyoming, creating a 60-foot (18 m) crater. There was no fire, nor any injuries.

2011 - On August 31, a Cupertino, California condominium was gutted after a plastic pipeline fitting cracked, filling the garage with natural gas that exploded just minutes after the owner left for lunch. PG&E later found six other plastic pipe failures near the blast site. The line was an especially problematic type of pipe manufactured by DuPont called Aldyl-A. PG&E has 1,231 miles (1,981 km) of the early-1970s-vintage pipe in its system. Federal regulators singled out pre-1973 Aldyl-A starting in 2002 as being at risk of failing because of premature cracking. Explosions caused by failed Aldyl-A and other types of plastic pipe have killed more than 50 people in the United States since 1971, the federal government says.

2011 - On November 3, early, an explosion and fire hit a gas transmission pipeline compressor station near Artimas, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries.

0+2 2011 - On November 16, a Tennessee Gas Pipeline 36 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Glouster, Ohio. There were 2 people injured, with 2 homes and a barn destroyed, and 2 more homes and a barn damaged. The pipeline failed at a girth weld.

1+5 2011 - On November 21, a crew working on a waterline hit a gas distribution pipeline in Fairborn, Ohio, leading to a gas explosion that killed one man, and injured 5 others, including children.

2011 - On November 21, late, a Tennessee Gas Pipeline 24 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned near Batesville, Mississippi. 20 homes were evacuated for a time, but there were no injuries or major property damage. The pipeline failed at a sleeve over a wrinkle bend installed in 1946.

2011 - On December 3, a Williams-Transco gas transmission pipeline exploded and burned in Marengo County, Alabama. A 47 foot section of the pipe was hurled more than 200 feet from the failure area. The gas burned for several hours, and a nearby pipeline was damaged. There were no injuries, or serious property damage. External corrosion was the cause of the failure, due to issues with the pipeline coating, the cathodic protection level, and the local soil corrosiveness.

0+2 2011 - On December 6, explosions & fire erupted at a natural gas pipeline compressor station in Sublette County, Wyoming. Two workers were injured.

2011 - On December 10, a 42 inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline failed and ignited at a valve in Cache County, Utah.

2012 - On Janaury 2, evening, a gas pipeline exploded & burned in Estill County, Kentucky. Flames were reported reaching over 1,000 feet high. Residents up to a mile away from the failure were evacuated. There were no injuries.

2012 - On January 7, a forest fire caused a gas pipeline to explode and burn in Floyd County, Kentucky. There were no injuries from this incident.

1+0 2012 - On January 9, a man was feared dead from a fiery house explosion that leaking gas was suspected to have caused in Austin, Texas. Gas had been smelled in the area for several weeks. Gas company crews had looked along the affected property for a leak, but were unable to find it, and were going to perform more checking for the leak in the future.

2012 - On January 13, an 8 inch diameter gas pipeline exploded and burned in a vacant agricultural field in Rio Vista, California. There were no injuries or evacuations.

2012 - ON January 14, a Tennessee Gas Pipeline gas compressor had a major leak "that sounded like a rocket" in Powell County, Kentucky, forcing evacuations of nearby residents. There was no fire or injuries reported.

0+4 2012 - On January 16, a contractor excavating for a communications company caused a massive gas explosion and fire at a condominium complex in West Haverstraw, New York, injuring 2 firefighters & 2 utility workers. Afterwards, it was found that the excavator's insurance will be insufficient to cover all of the property damage of the incident.

1+0 2012 - On January 30, workers in Topeka, Kansas were installing a yard sprinkler system, hit a gas line. Gas from the leak later on exploded in a nearby home, burning a 73 year old woman, who died several weeks later.

2012 - On February 13, a 30 inch diameter gas transmission pipeline burst near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Residents in the area were evacuated for a time, but there was no fire.

2012 - On March 5, a leak at an Enid, Oklahoma pipeline storage spread propane fumes in the area, forcing evacuations. There was no fire or explosion.

2012 - On March 29, an explosion and fire destroyed an engine building in a gas pipeline compressor station in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries.

2012 - On March 29, an employee accidentally left a valve open during maintenance work on a gas compressor station near Springville, Pennsylvania. Later, gas leaked through the valve, causing alarms to evacuate workers in the compressor building. Later, the gas exploded and burned. There were no injuries. It was also found there are no agencies enforcing rules on rural gas facilities in that state.

2012 - On April 4, a 12 inch diameter gas pipeline exploded and burned for 5 hours near Gary, Texas. There were no injuries, but the rupture site was only 200 feet from that pipeline's compressor station.

0+2 2012 - On April 6, 2 gas company workers were mildly burned when attempting to fix a leak on a 4 inch diameter gas pipeline leak in DeSoto County, Tennessee. The pipeline exploded & burned during the repairs.

2012 - On April 9, a gas pipeline exploded and burned in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The accident was reported first by a satellite monitoring the area to the NRC. There were no injuries.

0+2 2012 - On April 25, two men escaped with only minor burns after a bulldozer they were using hit a 24 inch diameter gas pipeline near Hinton, Iowa. Authorities later announced the men did not call 811 for an underground utility locate.

2012 - On June 8, near Canadian, Texas, a trackhoe operator suffered burns, after residual gas from a gas gathering pipeline undergoing maintenance entered the engine of the trackhoe and ignited.


(The above information was mainly from Wikipedia.)





Anthony Marr, Founder and President
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
Global Anti-Hunting Coalition (GAHC)
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1 comment:

Lovesbr864@gmail.com said...

The 2 brothers from September 5 1977 were my uncles. Changed our family forever.