November 16, 2010 (Press-News.org) A Spate of Recent Gas Explosions Concern Homeowners Across the Country
According to data released by the New York Times, in the past five years alone nearly 70 people have been killed and hundreds others injured in natural gas-related explosions. That number includes the more than 50 injuries and seven fatalities resulting from a late-September blast in San Bruno, California. Less than a week later, a similar explosion in Richfield, Minnesota, destroyed one home and damaged others close by. Amazingly, there were no injuries or deaths in the Minnesota explosion, but property damage will easily top a quarter of a million dollars.
With winter rapidly approaching, more and more homeowners are rightfully concerned about the possibility of being closed up in a home while natural gas from a leak builds. Their concern is understandable, given the fact that safety experts are alarmed about the lack of oversight of the thousands of miles of natural-gas pipelines under America's roads, houses and commercial buildings. According to the federal Government Accounting Office (GAO) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) -- the federal agency tasked with oversight of pipelines across the country -- enforcement of state and federal pipeline-safety regulations is spotty and inconsistent.
Amazingly, a New York Times review of PHMSA data shows that a whopping one-third of the enforcement actions started in the past eight years are still pending, and that the number of fines issued by the PHMSA fell a staggering 40 percent between 2004 and 2009. Even some unresolved enforcement cases from the early 1990s have fallen through the cracks and have lingered open.
Of course, with inconsistent and wholly inadequate enforcement of inspection schedules and compliance checks comes problems. Pipeline owners -- usually utility companies -- can become lax in their line maintenance, letting pipes corrode, missing inspections and neglecting to mark their proper placement on maps, which opens the door to pipeline-owner employees themselves or those of other utilities (cable, phone and water companies) striking pipes during excavation.
The PHMSA has dramatically increased its oversight capabilities in the past two years by improving their recordkeeping processes databases and seeking additional authority from federal lawmakers to punish non-complying pipeline owners. Until such a time when pipeline owners are held accountable, however, accidents and explosions are likely to keep occurring with frightening regularity. If you or a loved one has been injured in a natural-gas explosion, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney in your area to learn more about your legal rights and options.
Article provided by Goldenberg & Johnson, PLLC
Visit us at www.goldenberglaw.com
A Spate of Recent Gas Explosions Concern Homeowners Across the Country
According to data released by the New York Times, in the past five years alone nearly 70 people have been killed and hundreds others injured in natural gas-related explosions.
2010-11-16
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Can Governor-Elect Jerry Brown Spark Job Creation?
2010-11-16
Can Governor-Elect Jerry Brown Spark Job Creation?
"It's the economy stupid," famously exclaimed by then-presidential hopeful Bill Clinton, seemed to be the rallying cry for most of the nation this last election cycle. With an economy in recession and a stagnate jobless rate throughout the country, many Americans took to the polls hoping to shake things up enough to get back to work.
With California's October jobless rate at 12.4 percent, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) numbers, Californians took to the polls with the rest of America, but instead of ...
Controversy in Texas' DNA Sampling Policy
2010-11-16
Controversy in Texas' DNA Sampling Policy
Getting arrested in Texas could soon include something more than just a jail cell -- a DNA test. A growing number of law enforcement officials are calling for mandatory DNA testing, which they say would help police with unsolved crimes, particularly violent crimes like sexual assault and murder. Opponents say that mandatory testing violates individual privacy rights, and innocent people could be accused of crimes they did not commit.
Twenty states already require DNA testing when someone is arrested. In Texas, a person is ...
Child Outcome-Based Support: Arizona's New Standard?
2010-11-16
Child Outcome-Based Support: Arizona's New Standard?
The goal of a child support award is a laudable one: ensure that the separation of a child's parents will not have a significant economic impact upon the child. The hope is that, by forcing the non-custodial parent to supplement the income of the custodial one, the child's standard of living will remain similar to that enjoyed prior to the separation. Nearly every state's child support system is built around the central idea that the child's fiscal interests must be taken into account before that of the parents themselves.
Clearly, ...
Teen Accident Deaths on Decline Despite Mobile-Phone Use
2010-11-16
Teen Accident Deaths on Decline Despite Mobile-Phone Use
Motor-vehicle accidents -- not drugs or diseases -- are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. Despite alcohol, distraction and lack of experience contributing to the causes of accidents for this age group, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently reported a decline in fatal crashes among these youngest drivers.
As part of its study, the CDC analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) Fatality Analysis Report System (FARS). Reviewing fatality data ...
Bolthouse Farms Implementing River Logic's Trade Promotion Optimization (TP0) Planner Software
2010-11-16
River Logic, Inc., a leading provider of corporate performance management and predictive modeling software, today announced that Bolthouse Farms, a multi-hundred million dollar a year and multi-national leader in the "healthy choice" segment of the food and beverage industry, has selected Trade Promotion Optimization (TPO) Planner to improve the financial performance of trade investment decisions.
"We reviewed a variety of trade promotion planning software offerings and River Logic, in partnership with Synectics Group, distinguished itself as a truly white-space solution ...
Payday Loans Media Myths Exposed
2010-11-16
Statistics* released today by payday loan company speed-e-loans.com have exposed some of the media myths surrounding this industry, suggesting that the negative press coverage is scare-mongering.
MYTH ONE - the payday parasites
Despite press articles claiming that payday lenders prey on their customers (with one red top newspaper referring to those in the industry as "payday parasites"), 70% of all payday loans through speed-e-loans are paid back on the date selected when the loan was first taken out.
The remaining 30% take advantage of their strict extension ...
Help Chef Point Cafe Feed Those Less Fortunate This Holiday Season
2010-11-16
Chef Point Cafe is exceedingly thankful to everybody who has helped make it such a tremendous success. Franson and Paula Nwaeze, proprietors of the five-star gourmet restaurant in a gas station, recognize the importance of helping others in their time of need, especially during the Thanksgiving season.
As an expression of gratitude to their diners and in recognition of Thanksgiving, the Nwaezes are providing diners the opportunity to help the less fortunate, too. Chef Point will be collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items during November and donating it ...
M&Y Global Services Publishes "The Rise of China BPO" Whitepaper
2010-11-16
M&Y Global Services, a leader in Chinese BPO, today issued a new whitepaper that examines China as a BPO destination. The whitepaper, "The Rise of China BPO", highlights China's continued focus to fuel growth in the BPO space and its potential as a leading BPO player amongst other global locations.
The whitepaper coincides with the recent visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron with the largest British trade delegation to China in more than 200 years. The visit has boosted bilateral trade with contracts valued at millions of pounds reportedly being signed as a ...
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Announces Best High-Tech Toys for 2010 on toyportfolio.com
2010-11-16
The independent consumer organization, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, announces their list of the Best High-Tech Toys for 2010 on their website www.toyportfolio.com.
"The good news for consumers is that the cost of technology is coming down," notes co-founder Joanne Oppenheim. "Toy makers know they need to be competitive this season so we've seen the prices really coming down for the holidays. One of the emerging trends is video camera equipment for every age group. Our list includes everything from a Barbie with a camera to an RC Helicopter that can capture images while ...
Bat Blue Recognized as Palo Alto Networks' Partner of the Year
2010-11-16
Bat Blue Corporation, a provider of end-to-end network and security technologies and services, today announced that it has been named East Region 2010 NextWave Platinum Partner of the Year by Palo Alto Networks.
Palo Alto Networks' next-generation high-performance firewalls enable unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content, at up to 10 Gbps. With over 2,200 enterprise clients, Palo Alto Networks has enjoyed consistently high annual growth rates since it first began shipping product in 2007.
Bat Blue has been a Palo Alto Networks ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] A Spate of Recent Gas Explosions Concern Homeowners Across the CountryAccording to data released by the New York Times, in the past five years alone nearly 70 people have been killed and hundreds others injured in natural gas-related explosions.