Saturday, September 24, 2016

Oklahoma Natural Gas could be fined as much as $1.5 million for its mishandling of gas leaks leading up to a Jan. 2 gas line explosion


Rubble remains after a Jan. 2 explosion that destroyed a home in Oklahoma City and damaged many others, including four that had to be demolished. PAUL HELLSTERN/The Oklahoman file 


  Updated: 2:21 am, Sat Sep 24, 2016.

By Matt Patterson The Oklahoman

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Natural Gas could be fined as much as $1.5 million for its mishandling of gas leaks leading up to a Jan. 2 gas line explosion that heavily damaged a northwest Oklahoma City neighborhood.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Transportation Division filed an enforcement action against the utility on Friday alleging that ONG failed to properly follow its own procedures and state regulations leading up to the incident.


The explosion destroyed a home at 12505 Whispering Hollow Drive and sent the occupant to the hospital with severe burns. More than 50 other homes were damaged, and four of them had to be demolished. The utility estimated property damage from the blast at about $500,000.


ONG issued a report earlier this year that blamed the early morning explosion on poor workmanship on a weld seam on a 4-inch main installed by a contractor in 1983. That report also showed that ONG had responded to leaks in the neighborhood eight times between December 1983 and February 2012 and just hours before the explosion.