Hits and Misses
MISS: It was stroke of good fortune no one was hurt or killed Monday morning when a natural gas transmission line exploded near Aliquippa, sending a plume of fire into the Beaver County sky and forcing the evacuation of several homes nearby. The 100-mile pipeline was being built to supply the Rover and Mariner East 2 lines. These are the same pipelines that are being buried in the ground all over Washington and Greene counties. Investigators suspect ground movement caused the rupture. Something that simple causing such a catastrophe is concerning. We’ve been told that these pipelines are safe, but after this explosion, along with similar incidents in Westmoreland County and Moundsville, W.Va., can anyone be so sure?
MISS: The Trump administration has been floundering when it comes to some of its prime policy objectives, but they’ve been all too diligent when it comes to dismantling environmental regulations that help make our air cleaner and stem climate change. The most recent is a proposal that would water down rules that went into effect under President Obama requiring oil and gas companies to keep an eye on and repair methane leaks. The new proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency would allow drillers to carry out inspections for leaks annually, rather than every six months, and give them two months to make repairs rather than just a month. While this will undoubtedly provide a boost for the coffers of the oil and gas industry, the rest of us stand to lose out, particularly those of us living in the vicinity of drilling sites.
HIT: Household pets like dogs and cats can have therapeutic value, and the best place to find them is the Washington Area Humane Society, located along Route 136 in North Strabane Township. Soon, the critters that are housed there and the humans interested in adopting them will be able to enjoy more spacious quarters, thanks to a plan to build a 10,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the Humane Society’s current home. Ground was broken Thursday, and the Humane Society has already raised $3.7 million of the projected $5 million cost. It’s due to open around this time next year. This will be good for the Humane Society, as Kelly Proudfit, its executive director, told us: “It is not about how many animals we can take, but the quality of care they are given. A better quality of care leads to a shorter stay and gives us a higher adoption rate.”