Gas leak exception to the 4th Amendment.

[Eecen]

Oh and that big explosion in CA was a 30" or 36" ( I dont remember which) High pressure TRANSMISSION owned by PG&E (of erin brockivich Sp. Fame) line not a low pressure distribution line. It was put in, in the mid 70's (76 IIRC) and was in a very rural area at that time. There was an odd section of line pipe in there that was put together rather poorly even for the time, more than likely to make a bad tie in work. Also IIRC it was the long seam weld, of the pipe that let go not a line weld or the metallurgy of the pipe itself

Interesting, I only ever saw it mentioned a few times on CBC. I mentioned it because it's easy to see people getting "oh mah gawd" over gas leaks.


But my point still stands that this article is a cluster fuck of biblical proportions. Shit don't make sense.

[mrsleeve]

right, there was line that blew up in Allentown PA last year, UGI line, There was Another one 4 days latter in Akron Oh Buckeye IIRC and 3 months before that Enterprise lost a propane Line in NYS. All were put in well over 50 years ago the buckeye line was put in in the late 30's and is still in service. XOM's silver tip line blew out under the Yellowstone River in MT, this spring after record rainfall washed the river bottom away and something hit the pipe. 2 years ago Enbridge had a similar incident in Marshal MI with an 8" oil line that was put in by great lakes in the mid 60's the 42b line IIRC, I know guys there that are still cleaning up that mess too.

Yes we need to replace a lot of infrastructure, (you Canadians too) when it comes to piping of all sorts, from sewer to water to Oil/Gas/Products, but as you can see from our what the POTUS is trying to with the Keystone XL, is indicative of what the EPA and DOT is doing when the feds have any kind or jurisdiction. It took over 10 years to permit 230 miles of New 30" NG line in NYS. That propane line that enterprise lost last fall, we still have guys up there stitching that one back together because the state of NY wont permit them to build a NEW one even though that one is well past service life , has killed several people and blown out a few other times and supplies the capital city with propane for the winter and all points in between there and Watkins Glen.

Because people are scared of pipelines thanks to stupid shit like this article and fear mongering from accidents from aging poorly built infrastructure. What most people in the US dont relize is that on the average you live no more than 6 miles from a HIGH PRESSURE TRANSMISSION Line, let alone the low pressure distribution shit that feeds your homes.

[Eecen]

Ahhh, the irony. But pipelines leak!! But our current lines are old and falling apart! But pipelines leak! blah blah blah.


Our aging infrastructure is only going to get worse...gee that's kind of a dumb statement, but there it is.

[CHIF8008]

i can leak my gas if i want. im paying for it hahaha

[cale]

Need more info.

Are they worried about homes where the services are essentially left on so when pressure is put back to the lines they'll be leaking into the homes. If there are not shutoff's outside the house (there should be) that they need to go inside to verify. Sounds reasonable if that's the case.

[mrsleeve]

Need more info.

Are they worried about homes where the services are essentially left on so when pressure is put back to the lines they'll be leaking into the homes. If there are not shutoff's outside the house (there should be) that they need to go inside to verify. Sounds reasonable if that's the case.

Yes gas service is interrupted = pilot lights go out. Turn gas back on = homes filling with gas. Again not reasonable as there are shut offs outside the home just so no one has to break in if your not there. Weather they be a buried curb stop type or on the meter on the side of the house normally both.

[cale]

Sounds like they're trying to avoid having hundreds of people calling them back to have their services turned back on. Anyone can shut their gas off, a qualified person has to turn it back on.

[mrsleeve]

When you have a utility hit sop is to go and shut the affected buildings services off. And the utility is going to have to come out too turn everyone back on anyway so your point is moot at best

[cale]

There's more to it then, I don't think a utility company is just looking for ways to infringe on people's rights

[mrsleeve]

There's more to it then, I don't think a utility company is just looking for ways to infringe on people's rights

Its not the utility its the POLICE............ Why would the police have any interest or derive the authority for entering all these private homes and business ??? I am sure they are not looking around at everything in plain sight while they are marching around your home "searching" for a way into the basement or Utility room where the home owners shut off is located. While the utility has shut offs located out side the home

Right from the article

If no one is home at the time, police officers along with a locksmith have been entering homes to shut the valves off.

[cale]

You can't take the article as gospel. The cops would be there to ensure no funny business takes place, they're not going to be having cops shut off utilities. Tradesmen will be doing that.

[mrsleeve]

Well that may be true as well, but I would say that while they are doing the job to ensure the contractors are not helping them selves to your shit, the cops are taking stock and looking for anything that can be used against you as well. Since they are there


Again national code requires shut offs to be OUT-FUCKING-SIDE the building. This means no reason to enter to "shut off the valve". Conspiracy or not there was no need or justification for ANY ONE especially agents of the govt, to be entering anyone's private property without permission and in direct violation of the 4th amendment. I would be suing the shit outta every singe person, agency, or entity involved with this if my home were entered in such a fashion.

Check out nfpa54. Its the national fuel gas code and what I keep telling you guys is spelled out with in it

[DaveSmed]

FWIW the shut-off and meter at my parent's house was located inside the front closet (as with the rest of their neighborhood.)

Several years ago the local utility had to replumb the whole neighborhood to relocate that stuff outside each house on their own dime.


They sure as shit wouldn't have done that if it wasn't mandated....


I sure as hell would not take any intrusion into my house lightly, govt or not.

Shut the feeder for the whole street off if its a critical situation.

[Vedubin01]

FWIW the shut-off and meter at my parent's house was located inside the front closet (as with the rest of their neighborhood.)

So you are saying when the gas guy comes around to read your meter for the monthly bill, they have to enter your house and proceed to the front closet to take a reading?

[mrsleeve]

Nahhh I highly doubt that, There is an outside read out for it. Or set up to wireless transmit the reading to the reader when prompted for the info. Water meters that are located inside the home have a remote read out or transmit, gas meters are no different when you do run across one that is inside a structure.

Yes there is a shut off at the meter but if there is no outside access to it then there has to be a curb stop valve somewhere out in the yard it has been that way for decades . As to the gas company re-plumbing, more than likely if its an older neighborhood then the service lines were/are steel and well past service life, and the utility is upgrading and putting in the plastic and doing so the latest code. Not because they are forced to so much, but because they are losing product thats leaking though those old shot services between the main and the meter, so they are losing their asses on all that lost gas at 7-12 bucks per MCF (thousand cubic feet) at final retail end user prices

Dave: The main for the whole street was off since it was compromised due to a botched service/repair/upgrade. They cant turn it back on untill all the services are off and they have techs there to turn them back on and relight all the pilot lights as many older appliances will not auto light when the gas comes back on, so if no one is there they would be filling houses with gas