The two companies involved in last year’s gas explosion that damaged or destroyed more than 50 homes in the South Fork development and left one woman dead, were hit by the state Board of Public Utilities with the biggest fines in its history.
As a result of an investigation by the BPU, Public Service Electric & Gas and contractor Henkels & McCoy were required to pay more than $1.3 million for violations associated with the explosion.
The BPU said in a news release that it had entered into stipulations of settlement with PSE&G and Henkels & McCoy requiring the companies to make respective payments of $725,000 and $600,000.
The BPU also ordered the companies to implement new safety measures and amend procedures to ensure compliance with all laws and their ongoing safe operation in New Jersey. The settlements will not prevent private litigation related to the explosion.
“The tragic loss of life from such an incident and the impact upon the lives of many families, some still not back in their homes, is felt by me and my fellow commissioners,” BPU president Richard S. Mroz said. “The Board takes pipeline safety very seriously and is dealing aggressively with violations of the Underground Facility Protection Act and related regulations.”
According to a news release, the BPU conducted a detailed and comprehensive investigation of the incident, which looked at circumstances surrounding the explosion and the procedures and actions taken by Henkels & McCoy and PSE&G.
During the course of its investigation, the BPU’s pipeline safety inspectors identified specific concerns with certain actions taken by Henkels & McCoy and PSE&G.
The BPU ordered corrective actions to be taken by Henkels & McCoy, including increased training and simulations, documentation, and cooperation with emergency public safety officials. Corrective actions to be taken by PSE&G include enhanced call center and dispatch operations, additional training and drills, first responder tracking, and the reinforcement of mark-out procedures and standards among others.
Additionally, PSE&G agreed to pay $275,000 for alleged violations of the Underground Facilities Protection Act that were found during Board staff’s investigation, but that were not causally related to the South Fork.
The explosion, which occurred on March 14, 2014, resulted in the death of South Fork resident Linda Ceritelli, who was believed to have been in her home at the time of the blast.
