(M)
THIS DANGEROUS
SITUATION IS RAISING
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
SAFETY OF
UNDERGROUND GAS
MAINS ACROSS
SOUTHERN NEW
ENGLAND.
(HE)
SO WE WENT DIGGING
FOR ANSWERS -- AND
FOUND OUT GAS LEAKS
ARE NOT AS UNCOMMON
AS YOU MAY THINK.
(M)
OUR IN-DEPTH
COVERAGE CONTINUE
NOW WITH TARGET 12
CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR
SUSAN CAMPBELL.
(SC)
THE MOST RECENT STAT
AVAILABLE IS FROM 2015.
THAT YEAR - THERE WERE
MORE THAN 2-THOUSAND
GAS LEAKS IN RHODE
ISLAND.
HUNDREDS OF THEM
REQUIRED IMMEDIATE
REPAIRS.
THIS INCIDENT - WEDNESDAY
NIGHT IN PROVIDENCE - WAS A
TYPE 1 GAS LEAK...
BY DEFINITION IT HAD TO BE
FIXED IMMEDIATELY.
It's scary I couldn't even sleep
last
night
THE SCENE MAY NOT ALWAYS
LOOK LIKE THIS..
BUT WE FOUND OUT - THERE
ARE THOUSANDS OF GAS
LEAKS EVERY YEAR IN RHODE
ISLAND.
WE REQUESTED DATA - HERE'S
THE BREAKDOWN -
ACCORDING TO A NATIONAL
GRID SYSTEM INTEGRITY
REPORT..
IN 2013 - THERE WERE 2,252
GAS LEAKS IN RHODE ISLAND.
IN 2014 - 2,753
AND IN 2015 - 2,292
THE REPORT SHOWS... IN 2015 -
913 OF THOSE GAS LEAKS
WERE LABELED TYPE 1.
REMEMBER.. THAT MEANS THEY
HAVE TO BE REPAIRED RIGHT
AWAY..
TYPE 2S - AREN'T AS SERIOUS..
TYPE 3S - AREN'T HAZARDOUS
AT ALL - AND DON'T REQUIRE
REPAIRS.
13:25:31 It's the 15th oldest
gas
company in America. :34
13:25:35 we knew we had a
problem. We're spending 100
million
dollars this year and we're
going to
get rid of every piece of pipe
out
there leak prone pipe in 19
years.
(SC)
WE ALSO CHECKED ON
CIVIL PENALTIES RELATED
TO NATURAL GAS -
ASSESSED BY THE RHODE
ISLAND DIVISION OF
PUBLIC UTILITIES AND
CARRIERS.
ACCORDING TO DATA
FROM THE AGENCY...
FROM 2000 THROUGH 2016
- PENALTIES FOR CODE
VIOLATIONS TOTALED
ALMOST 950-THOUSAND
DOLLARS.
WITH THE TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS, SC EWN.
