Ohio regulators say gas line marks were 28 inches off before a fiber crew's bore leveled three homes

Future Communications held a valid Ohio 811 ticket, requested June 16, and was boring conduit along Hiram Lane when its bore head gouged a 2-inch distribution line, leaving a 4-inch gash, according to the report as described by ENR and Ideastream. A locator from Benchmark, a locating firm Enbridge had hired, had marked the line between June 16 and 18 by hooking onto a tracer wire. The paint went on the sidewalk. The main ran under the front lawn, about 28 inches to the south.

Gas moved into an empty house, which exploded about 52 minutes after the strike was reported. Two people in neighboring homes were hurt; neither stayed overnight in a hospital, and no one died. PUCO estimated the damage at $5 million, News 5 Cleveland reported.

The commission named the inaccurate marking as the primary contributing factor. Its staff also found the marks did not follow the Universal Marking Standards: they did not identify the pipe's owner, size or material. Investigators said Enbridge's locating procedures lacked detailed instructions that apply to every request, and that the company drug-tested the locator after the strike but skipped the required alcohol test.

Enbridge Gas Ohio said it is reviewing the findings. A lawyer for Benchmark said several parties were involved in the project and the company has cooperated with regulators. A PUCO spokesperson said violations of federal pipeline safety rules could bring fines or required changes. OSHA is also investigating. Enbridge replaced the damaged main with 1.25-inch polyethylene pipe and restored most service by June 30.