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Lawmakers press action after deadly Aldyl‑A gas-pipe failures; NTSB findings cited
Summary
Representative Houlihan urged the committee to require operators to identify and remediate Aldyl‑A polyethylene pipe in high‑consequence areas after NTSB reports linked recent fatal explosions to degraded aging plastic piping.
Representative Houlihan told the committee that a March 24, 2023, natural‑gas explosion at the RM Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pa., and a November 2024 explosion in South Jordan, Utah, highlight long‑standing safety risks associated with Aldyl‑A polyethylene natural‑gas piping.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s final report on the West Reading incident found the probable cause was degradation of an Aldyl‑A service tee that allowed gas to leak and migrate into the factory. Houlihan said the NTSB recommended that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration advise operators to address Aldyl‑A risks and that operators may not be aware of the locations of vulnerable plastic assets.
“We have decades of warnings,” Houlihan said, referencing PHMSA advisories dating to 1999 and two deadly incidents in recent years. She urged the committee to include legislation requiring documentation and removal of Aldyl‑A in high‑consequence areas while allowing measures to minimize cost and service disruptions.
Why it matters: The testimony urged the committee to use pipeline‑safety reauthorization to require operators to identify and remediate vulnerable polyethylene pipe, to implement NTSB recommendations and to expand oversight by PHMSA.
