Summit responds to proposed $150K fine
Summit Natural Gas of Maine is seeking to meet with state regulators over its proposed $150,000 fine for damaging sewer lines while installing pipeline.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Summit now faces a total of $300,000 in fines among four pending cases from the Maine Public Utilities Commission. The latest violation was issued earlier this month. Summit is facing the other fines for employee training issues and not properly following procedures when fusing plastic pipes and butt joints.
Summit "takes the [PUC’s] allegations and concerns very seriously" and it has already moved forward with some of the state's recommendations, a company attorney said.
Summit is facing the proposed $150,000 fine after PUC inspectors discovered that between early August and late September the company had damaged sewer lines in 25 places across four communities. The most serious damage was done in Gardiner, where a plumber was trying to diagnose a home's sewer blockage and unknowingly chipped away some of an inactive natural gas pipeline that was blocking the way with a mechanical snake.
"Had the gas main been active and there had been more aggressive attempts to clear the sewer lateral, the results may have been disastrous," the PUC said in a report.
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