Latest news with #ColumbiaGas
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Large water main break floods street in Pittsburgh's Banksville Road
A large water main break flooded a busy intersection in Pittsburgh's Banksville neighborhood on Wednesday morning. The water main break at the intersection of Banksville Road and Potomac Avenue near the BP gas station flooded homes and businesses. "As far as we know, there was two houses flooded and about 4 inches of water in the basement," said Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones. (Photo provided by KDKA viewer) Photos from the scene show a large crack in the road. Natural gas could be smelled at the scene, and Jones said Columbia Gas is looking into whether a gas line was broken when the street ruptured. There's also a "substantial amount" of oil coming out of one of the properties, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has been contacted, Jones said. "It just kept getting worse and worse cause it didn't get shut off for at least half an hour, 45 minutes. Then the water just kept going up and kept getting deeper out here. We got a couple cars that are flooded," said Randy Keller at the nearby autobody shop. Pennsylvania American Water is working on the problem and says many people from the Banksville area to Green Tree may experience low water pressure or no water at all.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utility company urges residents to 'call before you dig'
Columbia Gas of Maryland is reminding residents to contact 811 before any digging projects. According to a community announcement, April is National Safe Digging Month, which highlights the importance of safety when starting outdoor projects. Homeowners and contractors are urged to call 811 or go to at least three business days prior to digging to have underground utilities marked. A recent national survey indicated that more than 27 million homeowners planning do-it-yourself digging projects will not contact 811. This negligence can lead to damaging underground utilities, risking safety and causing service disruptions for neighbors and essential services. Striking a utility line can result in costly repairs, inconvenient outages, fines and even injuries. When homeowners and contractors contact 811, they are connected to the Miss Utility system. This system notifies utility companies to mark the approximate locations of underground utility lines with colored flags or spray paint. Each color indicates the type of utility present and where digging should be avoided. The flags can be removed once the project is completed. Columbia Gas has outlined key steps for homeowners to follow before starting any digging project. First, they should contact 811 by calling or going to at least three business days before the project begins, regardless of the size or depth of the work. Planning ahead is crucial; submitting a free 811 request early in the week is recommended for weekend projects to allow sufficient time for marking. Homeowners should confirm that all utility lines are marked before starting work. If necessary, homeowners should adjust their project plans to avoid marked utility lines. It is also essential to verify that any hired contractors have contacted 811 and requested utility markings before commencing work. Columbia Gas emphasizes that spreading awareness and encouraging responsible digging practices can help keep communities safe and prevent unnecessary disruptions. For more information about 811 and safe digging practices, go to or This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. Master Gardeners plan plant sale for April 19 This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Columbia Gas reminds customers to contact 811 before digging
Boston Globe
18-02-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
State represenatatives join senators in protesting natural-gas rate hikes
Rate changes approved by the DPU that took effect on Nov. 1 drove up bills by 30 percent for January, compared with the same month a year ago, for typical homeowners in Eversource's former Columbia Gas territory, and 23 percent for those in the former NStar Gas towns. Eversource attributed the increases to growth in the Mass Save home efficiency program, the rising commodity costs for natural gas, and infrastructure upgrades. Those increases were exacerbated by a 19 percent increase in typical gas consumption last month, because of the colder weather. Advertisement The 80 lawmakers who signed the letter are from both political parties, and from regions across the state. Representative Hannah Kane, a Republican from Shrewsbury, said her Eversource gas bill in January was over $950, 'ridiculous to say the least,' she wrote. Kane said she reached out to Eversource in January about the 'astronomoical rates' and that she's glad that the governor is now requesting rate relief from the DPU — something Kane hopes is 'swiftly accomplished and retroactive.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fire damages Bedford Street building
CUMBERLAND — A three-story building at 122 Bedford St. was damaged by a fire Saturday morning. First-arriving Cumberland firefighters found flames shooting from the second floor of the structure that housed a business and apartments, according to a Facebook post by the Cumberland Firefighters IAFF Local 203. Firefighters from LaVale, Ridgeley, Bedford Road, Cresaptown, Bowling Green, Wiley Ford and Shaft also assisted at the scene or as fill-in for city crews. The fire was reported at about 10:40 a.m. and was reported out about 15 minutes into the firefighting operation. Initial reports from the scene indicated all occupants were out of the structure. Columbia Gas and Potomac Edison crews were also requested to respond to the scene.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Aging gas lines could pose significant public safety risk, if left unchecked
Pittsburgh is not a young city and neither is the infrastructure. Some of our gas lines are 60, 70, 80 years or older. Often, we don't know what's under our homes, roads and schools and the potential risk that could be building up over time. In Allentown in 2011, five people including a newborn were killed and 600 others were evacuated after an 83-year-old cast-iron gas line failed. That same year, in Philadelphia, a 71-year-old main exploded, killing a gas worker and injuring six others. Neighbors say they complained about the smell of gas for a year and a half before the deadly blast. Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, known as 'Dr. Zee,' is the founder of Pittsburgh-based company, Matergenics. He studies the failures in materials that lead to catastrophic events, including gas explosions. While pipelines are no longer made out of cast-iron, we still have them underground. 'It can fracture and cause problems,' Dr. Zee said. 'You can see there is extensive loss in thickness,' Dr. Zee said, showing us an example of a line that failed. 'That's what happened in Allentown.' On Penn Avenue, Peoples Gas is replacing cast-iron pipelines that were installed in 1886. It comes at an astronomical price. It's roughly $two million to replace just one mile of pipeline. Columbia Gas says they spent several billion dollars to eliminate all cast-iron, wrought iron and bare steel from their lines as of 2022. Dr. Zee says public utilities do condition assessments of underground gas lines to test their integrity and lifespan. Underground currents, pipeline coatings and soil can lead to corrosion, leaks, and/or cracks which could be catastrophic. 'We are dealing with much bigger pipelines, much higher pressure,' Dr. Zee added. 'That can cause serious problems.' Dr. Zee says we should be using technology to sound the alarm before a catastrophe. 'If our homes and our refrigerators have sensors, gas lines should have sensors,' Dr. Zee said. 'My opinion is governments should support gas companies financially to invest.' That's just the public utility side. Most people don't know what their personal responsibilities are. If there are any leaks or cracks on the customer's side, you are financially responsible for repairs. Dr. Zee says there are warning signs to look for in your home including: A hissing sound Dead grass Insects gathering in one place If your gas bill suddenly increases The smell of gas Peoples Gas says there are steps you can take to keep your family safe. Have your furnace inspected at least once a year. Recognize the signs of a natural gas leak Consider a methane detection device, which functions similarly to a smoke or carbon monoxide detector Every family should know where the gas shut-off valve is. In most cases, if that valve is parallel to the line, gas is flowing and if you turn the valve to the side, perpendicularly, the gas is off. If you smell gas, get everyone out of your home and call 911. Peoples Gas sent 11 Investigates the following statement about the work they're doing to phase out aging gas lines: 'Peoples is committed to providing safe, reliable natural gas to millions of Western Pennsylvanians every day. We operate and maintain more than 15,000 miles of pipelines across 18 counties, and are actively modernizing our system by replacing aging infrastructure with state-of-the-art pipelines. These upgrades enhance safety, improve reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have an aggressive infrastructure modernization program, replacing or retiring more than 300 miles of pipelines in 2024 alone. This work is part of our long-term improvement plan that is on pace to replace more than 3,000 miles of pipeline by 2034. Our goal is to safely and efficiently upgrade our system while minimizing customer disruptions. Peoples crews work every day to ensure the safe delivery of natural gas, and we encourage our customers to stay proactive. Have your furnace inspected at least once a year and take advantage of the safety education materials we offer to learn how to recognize signs of a natural gas leak. While the odorant we add to our pipelines is a key warning sign of a possible leak, methane detection devices can offer an added layer of protection, functioning similar to a smoke or carbon monoxide detector. If you suspect a gas leak, please leave the area immediately and then call 911 and Peoples' 24-hour hotline at 1-800-400-4271. We will promptly dispatch a technician to investigate.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
