Cascade Natural Gas are facing 4 million dollars in fines after Washington State pipeline safety regulators filed a complaint stating they violated state and federal pipeline safety regulations. After an investigation, Cascade Natural Gas failed to to provide the correct documentation for almost 40% of the high pressure lines in Washington according to news reports.

This is a big deal because a gas line explosion in 2010 in California found the cause was the gas companies failure to maintain records necessary to establish and confirm MAOP according to reports. The commission that launched the investigation says lack of keeping records can have catastrophic consequences. Federal MAOP standards for regulations have a maximum pressure which a pipeline can endure safely and mandate that they have to keep records proving companies maintain that level. Cascade natural Gas could not provide that documentation.

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