"Cause of Springfield gas explosion sought" by Zachary T. Sampson and Colin A. Young | Globe Correspondents, November 24, 2012
SPRINGFIELD — Columbia Gas workers checked records for the past six months and determined that before Friday, they had received no calls about a gas odor in the area, said the spokeswoman, Sheila Doiron.
But a dancer at the strip club told the Globe on Friday night that she had smelled gas in the building over the past four months. She said the club’s owner used deodorizers to mask the scent....
I'm sorry for the deception, readers; however, I wanted to get in on the fun like my ma$$ media.
Besides, what's wrong with a little white lie once in a while -- for the greater good?
Mark McDonald, president of the New England Gas Workers Association, said in a phone interview Saturday that there are about 25,000 gas leaks across Massachusetts, a problem he said is tied to poor oversight of the gas industry.
Because the regulators come from the ga$ indu$try.
McDonald wrote a bill that would tighten regulation and industry standards, a measure that is currently before the state Legislature.
Of the Springfield explosion, he said, “This points out the fact that allowing 25,000 gas leaks to continue to leak in Massachusetts is a big mistake.”
--more--"
Except it wasn't a leak that did it(?):
"Error cited as cause of gas blast in Springfield; Utility worker punctured line" by Travis Andersen | Globe Staff, November 25, 2012
Human error was the cause of Friday’s natural gas explosion in downtown Springfield that leveled a strip club, damaged dozens of other buildings, and injured at least 19 people, officials said on Sunday.
The blast at Scores Gentleman’s Club occurred when a worker from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts who was investigating a gas odor accidentally punctured a high-pressure gas line at the foundation of the building, State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan’s office said in a statement....
On Friday night, a dancer at the club told the Globe that she had smelled gas in the building at 453 Worthington St. over the past four months. The dancer said the club’s owner used deodorizers to mask the odor....
Yeah, but like a prostitute, she has bad eyesight, 'er, olfactory cavities.
I was told it was human error.
"3,300 gas leaks are found in Boston; Most are small; perspectives differ on risk" by Beth Daley | Globe Staff, November 20, 2012
Natural gas is escaping from more than 3,300 leaks in Boston’s underground pipelines, according to a new Boston University study that underscores the explosion risk and environmental damage from aging infrastructure under city sidewalks and streets.
Are you sure someone didn't just light a cigarette at the finish line?
The vast majority of the leaks are tiny, although six locations had gas levels higher than the threshold at which explosions could occur.
Oh, yeah? WHERE?
Although there have been no reports of explosions in Boston from any of the leaks, the study comes three years after a Gloucester house exploded probably because of a cracked and corroded gas main dating to 1911.
The research, being published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Pollution, confirms what Bostonians sometimes smell on city streets: a telltale whiff of gas....
Gas companies and the state Department of Public Utilities say the risk of an explosion from the leaks is exceedingly small....
Yeah, yup, whatever.
Leaks can develop in corroded pipes but are most often caused by
contractors or homeowners using excavation equipment, according to the
public utilities department. During cold weather, frost can penetrate
deep into the ground and shift the earth around mains to cause hairline
fractures. Other cracks can form at joints where service lines to homes
or businesses join mains....
In this age of global warming (sigh).
The problem is not one of safety alone. Leaking natural gas can damage vegetation and trees by displacing oxygen in the soil, scientists say. It is also a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change: Methane is over 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, although it is not as long-lived....
After the Boston Marathon Bombing that fart-mist of a fraud is way down on the list of concerns.
--more--"
"Gas leak reported before blast leveled restaurant" by Bill Draper and Heather Hollingsworth | Associated Press, February 21, 2013
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A day after a natural gas explosion leveled a popular restaurant, investigators raced to search the rubble and tried to understand how the blast happened despite suspicions that flammable fuel had been leaking, maybe for weeks, somewhere in the busy outdoor shopping area.
Hours before the explosion, witnesses reported a strong smell of gas, and firefighters were summoned to the scene at one point but left without ordering an evacuation....
Crews using flashlights, cadaver dogs, and heavy equipment were rushing to finish the search ahead of a winter storm that was expected to bring heavy snow.
The explosion occurred after a construction crew apparently struck a natural gas line, touching off a blast that could be felt for nearly a mile. It shattered glass in nearby buildings and sent up an ominous smoke plume....
People who live and work in the area reported smelling gas for some time.
Jeff Rogers was waiting at a bus stop down the street from JJ’s when the explosion knocked him and another man to the ground.
He said he had smelled gas at the intersection for the past couple of weeks. Then the odor intensified Tuesday.
--more--"
Also see:
Something stinks all right.
