Sep 11, 2014 1 min read

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Thursday approved a modified settlement agreement with Columbia Gas following an investigation into various operating practices and incidents involving a thrid-party contractor.

The commission unanimously voted to increase the civil penalty against Columbia Gas from $110,000 to $200,000 given the high number and nature of the alleged violations, according to a press release from the PUC.

A formal investigation began on Aug. 30, 2012, by the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement and focused on whether Columbia Gas complied with state and federal regulations regarding valve maintenance, operating pressures and excavation damage, the release said. The incidents in question occurred between December 2011 and July 2013 in Washington, Somerset, Fayette and Allegheny counties.

A settlement agreement was filed on Feb. 6 to resolve the investigation, which outlined that Columbia Gas would then pay a $110,000 civil penalty fee, engage in corrective actions and implement revisions to its operating procedures.

Columbia provides natural gas service to approximately 417,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 26 counties in Pennsylvania.