Any company that would install a gas processing plant right in the backyards of a rural neighborhood, is not going to pay attention to warnings from regulators or concerns about public health and safety.
In PA a Williams compressor station exploded.
What the DEP told Williams:
A DEP spokeswoman said the agency’s advice not to run the station was clear and officials are disappointed with the company.
Williams said Wednesday that it began flowing gas through the system the day after the explosion…
They did their own inspection and proclaimed it safe. Who needs the DEP, right? Tax money saved there.
Regulators do not plan to issue an enforcement order now, Ms. Connolly said. DEP has not yet determined if Williams will be fined for the explosion or for disregarding the agency’s shutdown request.
See there! Who needs the DEP. The Big Gas Mafia runs the show anyway.
You can read all about it HERE.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
What’s the hubbub about?? It was an accident, and we all know that accidents happen. As far as the TCEQ goes, err, I mean the DEC….DEP…That’s right, the DEP, the ruling will be that since it was ‘unintentional’ it will wind up as a footnote and a wag of a finger telling them to try not to let that happen again. If it does, we might have to move to the next step, which is a Stern Look, followed by a strong audible sigh, then finally, tsk, tsk, tsk. Repeat.
They all took lessons from the TCEQ.
Now it appears that no one regulates that facility in PA:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120408_Northern_Pennsylvania_gas_explosion_was_out_of_regulatory_reach.html
This “accident” was caused by someone leaving a valve open during maintenance. An alarm sounded, & at least the workers were out of the building when it exploded. But, with no regulators overseeing anything, who says the gas detectors will be kept in working order there?
The gas industry is fighting having the PHMSA or other US agencies regulate Class 1 gas equipment.