City Council - Gas Lines and Evacuation

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Gas Lines and Evacuation

Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Council
Forum Description: Discuss individual members and council as a legislative body.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3147
Printed Date: Nov 23 2024 at 2:10pm

Topic: Gas Lines and Evacuation

Posted By: Paul Nagy
Subject: Gas Lines and Evacuation
Date Posted: Jul 21 2010 at 12:09pm

On July 14th we had a very dangerous situation with potential catastrophic consequences occur. After, some discussion with some of my neighbors, I sent the following email to City Council. It brought immediate replies by Mayor Mulligan, Councilman Dan Picard and Duke energy. It was addressed by council at last nights council meeting and the bottom line is that they will address all questions before Council by August the 15th. This is an extremely important matter and I'm thankful it is being taken so seriously. This is the email I sent:

July 19, 2010

Middletown City Council

Middletown Administration

One Donham Plaza

Middletown, Ohio

Dear Council,

On Wednesday, July 14, 2010 a potential tragedy of great proportions was averted by the Middletown Fire Department, Police Department and Duke energy. A busted gas line at 3220 Goldman Avenue was the cause of the problem. A plumber was attempting to clean out a sewer line when he ruptured a gas line. As you know, this is not the first incident of this type. Thirty families had to be evacuated, including my family and my daughters family.

After talking with a number of members of the community certain questions need to be answered. Is there a gas line running parallel in the city sewer line? Did Duke Energy hire a contractor to run gas lines through the sewer lines to connect to homes for installation of new gas meters? Is there a continued and existing danger to the homes of Middletown citizens because of gas lines proximity to sewer lines? Will Council investigate the situation and publicly answer citizens questions regarding this matter? Is Duke Energy responsible in any manner for what happened and what could happen? Will Council hold Duke Energy Responsible? If there is a danger will the city do what is necessary or have done what is necessary to correct the problem in behalf of citizen safety which should be Council’s first priority? If there are not enough funds, we all know that there are large amounts of stimulus money for infrastructure problems throughout the United States, will Council apply for them for this problem and other city infrastructure problems?

The circumstances of this potential tragedy happened in the fourth ward. We hope that our fourth ward Council member Mr. Picard will have council address these questions publicly for us at the next council meeting June 20^th, 2010. Many of the fourth ward citizens are quite nervous about the matter.

Thank you for your considerations.

Respectfully,

Paul Nagy

Replies:

Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Jul 21 2010 at 1:29pm

Paul most likely something like this happened:

Posted By: Paul Nagy
Date Posted: Jul 21 2010 at 2:01pm

Pac,

This is an important video you have posted and I wish everyone would view it. It is exactly part of what has happened and poses such a great threat of tragedy to so many. Note what the Duke energy spokeswomen said on the Middletown Journal website today, "Preliminary results from Duke's investigation show the company's gas line, which runs between the gas main and the home's meter, had somehow entered the sewer line, Thelen said". It confirms this video and more.

Thank you.

Paul Nagy

Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jul 21 2010 at 7:56pm

This whole gas line/sewer line situation fails to pass the smell test!!!

It seems to be becoming more and more likely that these are NOT just isolated incidents, that they are NOT just "erroneous" or accidental occurrences, but intentional, ill-advised shortcuts taken to save money with a “public be damned” attitude, that fail to meet any known standards of good practice.

The practice of putting “tags” on sewer lines advising homeowners to check with the gas company prior to cleaning out sewer lines can be considered practical jokes at best, and indications of prior criminal knowledge at worst!!!

I would advise EVERYONE who has such a tag on their sewer line to photograph it at once, and not to allow ANYONE to remove such a tag in the supposed process of an "investigation". All they are actually doing is trying to DESTROY EVIDENCE of prior criminal knowledge!!!

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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Posted By: Hermes
Date Posted: Jul 21 2010 at 9:13pm

Mike - We got our sewer tag more than a year ago so apperently you maybe right. Someone has known about this for a long time now. It never crossed my mind about the tags until this gas incident, now I know what the tag was really for.

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No more democrats no more republicans,vote Constitution Party !!

Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jul 21 2010 at 9:49pm

Hermes,

Yep!!! There is absolutely NO reason on God's green earth for anyone to be warned to call the GAS company prior to CLEANING a sewer lateral UNLESS someone has prior knowledge of illegal (at worst) or shoddy and careless (at best) installation of gas mains or gas laterals.

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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Posted By: Paul Nagy
Date Posted: Dec 04 2010 at 6:11am

A couple of months ago I sent to council a new set of questions regarding the gas lines. The questions were divided into two sets. One set for council asking its positions and policy and the second set for Duke Energy regarding the same. Anita Scott Jones tried to get some answers after the appearance from two of Dukes representatives at city council meeting. Mayor Mulligan tried to arrange a meeting with all of us involved but to date it has not gotten anywhere nor do I expect it to happen.

The last couple of weeks the Champion trucks and Duke have been working here on Orchard between Goldman and Roosevelt. The Champion people are the ones who run the cameras down through your sewer line to see where the gas lines are. I went out and talked to the Champion people. They showed me the cameras operating. There indeed were gasl lines going through our sewer lines.

The Champion people were especially competent, informed and courteous. They let me know that the gas lines got placed in the sewer lines by CG&E many years ago and Duke Energy just inherited the problem. They said that Duke Energy is doing everything they can to solve the problem. I, now agree with that. However, the problem is extremely large and serious and there are no short term fixes. It is very expensive and City Council in my opinion has no idea how to approach the problem and would keep it quiet if everyone else would, like the ostrich with its head in the sand.

I'd like everyone to know:

1. The gas lines are in the sewer lines all over the city. No area is exempt except for new development. Do not run a rooter through your sewer line if it backed up. Indeed, do call Duke now that they have gotten into the plumbing business. All of us who are customers pay for it even though they say they will clean it out for free. You live with a very potential tragedy 24/7. This is not a question of inciting alarm. This is a question of solving a very dangerous problem.

2. The fact that the problem is every where doesn't give any comfort. Yes, they did not have the technology there is now. But where are the federal, State, Municipal policies to deal with the matter?

3. We, the public are totally apathetic about the matter. After the number of gas line explosions we have had in the last couple of years(2000+ a year through out the country) the citizen response has been near zero. But the public is generally apathetic about most things until they get so bad there has to be war to solve anything. Middletown especially.

Let's hope and pray we don't have any more tragedies but I think the odds are against us.

Paul Nagy

Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Dec 04 2010 at 7:28am

Mr.Nagy

If you remember, at the Council Conversation that took place at the Scott-Jones residence, I asked the three present Councilmembers if city inspectors checked and approved the installation of these intrusive gas lines.

Councilmember Picard vowed to research that ? and get back to the public in some manner.

Dod you or anyone else ever get further reply on the situation?

I have heard nothing.

Posted By: Paul Nagy
Date Posted: Dec 04 2010 at 9:07am

SJ,

Great, great question! I also have heard nothing.

Thanks for asking.

Paul Nagy

Posted By: wasteful
Date Posted: Dec 05 2010 at 6:12am

I thought at the last Council meeting or the one before Mulligan was suppose to be meeting with Duke About this issue in the near future?

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