PHOENIX – Southwest Gas will pay $2 million following an investigation into a 2021 gas explosion at a Chandler business that injured four people.
The explosion occurred on Aug. 26, 2021, at a print shop near Ray and Rural roads, which caused the structure’s roof to collapse. Four people were injured, several homes were evacuated and a section of a strip mall was gutted and rebuilt.
The Arizona Corporation Commission announced Friday that it reached a consent agreement with Southwest Gas that includes the civil penalty and requires more inspections.
At issue is piping that can degrade in locations with hot ambient temperatures. Federal regulators issued an advisory in 2012 alerting operators that the piping – known as Driscopipe polyethylene M7000 and M8000 – could be susceptible to degradation.
It was reported that degradation and resulting leaks involved piping installed in the Southwest, particularly in the Mojave Desert region in Arizona, California and Nevada.
In Arizona, state investigators concluded that Southwest Gas failed to properly map where the type of piping had been installed.