This was a particularly destructive week with respect to natural gas leaks and natural gas explosions, from five injured workers in Illinois, to another death in Minneapolis, natural gas mishaps cut a swath of destruction in communities across the country.
Okay, so perhaps this post really should be titled, "The Last Two Weeks in Natural Gas Leaks and Explosions," because what with the recent visit to the White House and all the other content that needed creating, last week's episode sort of fell by the wayside.
Unfortunately, this was a particularly destructive and devastating week for natural gas leaks and natural gas explosions, starting with an incident in Illinois.
An explosion at the Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America in Herscher, IL, sent five people to the hospital on Aug. 16. Although the explosion itself was not related to a pipeline failure, it's worth noting that the company's owner, Kinder Morgan, has a lengthy record of pipeline and workplace safety violations. Investigators from both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Pipeline Hazardous Materials and Safety Administration (PHMSA) continue to investigate the cause of the blast.
An explosion in Douglasville, GA, sent a maintenance man to the hospital with severe burns on Thursday, Aug. 18, according to a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Neighbors reported smelling natural gas in the area shortly before the blast destroyed one condominium and severely damaged several others in the development.
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