Natural Gas Leaks Sometimes Cause More Than Evacuations
Natural gas is a significant energy source for Kentucky. The fact that it’s flammable makes it helpful in creating heat, whether cooking your dinner or heating an industrial process in a factory. However, being flammable and explosive in certain circumstances makes it highly dangerous. If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a gas explosion, or your property was damaged by one, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Kentucky used 310,541 million cubic feet of natural gas in 2023, according to one estimate. Not all of it went where it was supposed to go. It could’ve leaked from pipelines, gas lines, appliances, or industrial equipment. The gas, in and of itself, isn’t dangerous. It’s flammable and explosive when it mixes with air and ignites with a spark or flame.
Downtown Louisville Evacuates Due to Natural Gas Leak
No one in their right mind should stay inside a building with natural gas leaking into it. It could become a bomb that levels it and other structures around it.
Several downtown Louisville buildings, including Metro Hall, were evacuated the morning of February 25 as firefighters investigated a gas leak, reports WDRB. Several agencies responded to the scene, including about 40 Louisville firefighters, and the danger passed by 2:00 p.m., according to the Louisville Metro Emergency Services.
Crews entered area buildings and ventilated them by opening windows. Metropolitan Sewer District employees opened manhole covers and aired out local sewers. No injuries were reported.
The cause wasn’t known then, but it was believed to be a leak from an eight-inch gas line running down 5th Street from Jefferson to Market. The line may have expanded and contracted during the recent extreme weather, causing it to crack.
Natural Gas Explosion Kills One, Injures Six
Danville in 2019 wasn’t the scene of a precautionary evacuation, according to WLKY. A natural gas pipeline there exploded, killing one and injuring six. Seventy-five people were evacuated from their area homes afterward. Three years later, federal regulators released their report on the cause.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated different factors were at play, but one of the leading causes was a pipeline manufacturing defect. Their final report stated the fire and explosion’s “probable cause” was the following combination:
- A pre-existing “hard spot” (a manufacturing defect)
- Degraded pipeline coating
- Ineffective cathodic protection was applied to the pipeline in 2014, which caused its outer surface to crack and fail
- A gas flow reversal project increased outside external corrosion
- The pipeline company’s (Enbridge, Inc.) integrity management program failed to assess the pipeline’s integrity or accurately estimate the risks posed by several threats to the pipeline’s integrity
The explosion ejected 30 feet of pipeline from the ground, creating a 26,000-cubic-foot crater. Fires caused by the explosion destroyed five homes, and 14 more were damaged. These fires lasted several hours before crews could put them out. The pipeline ends at the Mexican border and New York City.
Family of Woman Killed in Explosion Files Wrongful Death Case
A month after the explosion, family members of the 58-year-old woman killed, Lisa Derringer filed a wrongful death case against Enbridge in Harris County, Texas, where the company is based, according to the Courier-Journal. Six others were hospitalized with burns.
The lawsuit alleges Derringer tried to escape and call her family after the blast but died because the fire and explosion consumed the oxygen in the area, physical trauma from the blast, and heat caused by the fire.
The plaintiffs also claim Enbridge failed to do the following, causing it to be liable for Derringer’s death:
- Take steps to prevent the explosion
- Warn nearby residents of its “hazardous conditions”
- Properly train employees
- Properly inspect, monitor, and maintain the pipeline
- Properly monitor the pipeline and take corrective action
The family sought more than $1 million in compensation. One family member told the newspaper a lawsuit’s goal was to compel Enbridge to take pipeline safety more seriously.
Know Anyone Injured by a Gas Leak?
The attorneys at Satterley & Kelley have litigated claims involving and can help you with them, too. If you or someone you know is injured by natural gas, you may reach our office in Louisville at 502-589-5600 or toll-free at 855-385-9532. You may also complete our contact form for a free initial consultation.