“Every citizen deserves to feel safe in their own homes, unaffected by the environmental hazards created by large corporations”
Pennsylvania AG Michelle Henry
Judge Denies Equitrans Motions on House Explosion by American Dreams
Equitrans appeals ruling in lawsuit over Greene County, Pa explosion by Garrett Neese, Observer-Reporter, April 11, 2026
Equitrans appealed to the state Superior Court after a Greene County judge denied its motion for relief in a lawsuit over a 2018 house fire in Morgan Township.
The state Attorney General’s office filed a felony charge in 2023 against Equitrans for violating the Pennsylvania Clean Streams law after a grand jury accused the company of failing to investigate long-known methane leakage at the Pratt Storage Field, which sat below the house.
Residents Cody White and Samantha Adamson were in the house with their 4-year-old son James at the time of the explosion, which was set off when Cody lit the stove to make macaroni and cheese for his son. All three suffered severe burns over more than 60% of their body, then-Attorney General Michelle Henry said when charges were announced.
The state also filed three misdemeanor charges against Equitrans, alleging it violated prohibitions against discharge of industrial waste and pollution, and regulations protecting the water supply.
Equitrans filed a motion to dismiss the felony charge, arguing that the interstate gas pipeline facility was subject to federal jurisdiction that would preempt a state prosecution over safety standards. It also sought a dismissal of the three misdemeanor charges. In a Feb. 9 ruling, Senior Judge Stephanie Domitrovich denied both motions. 
Inhumane fuckers
At the same time as it filed an application for permissive appeal of the ruling on the felony charge, it also filed an application asking Domitrovich to allow them to file an immediate appeal.
Equitrans argued there was “substantial ground for difference of opinion” on whether state or federal law would apply in the case, and that an immediate appeal could “materially advance the ultimate termination of the case.”
If the felony count were dismissed over the jurisdiction issue, removing the most legally complex issue in the case “would essentially cut the case in half,” Equitrans said in the application.
In its response, the state argued the delays caused by appeal could make the original events harder to recall for the witnesses, who would also have to testify in multiple trials if the cases are severed.
The attorney general’s office also contested Equitrans’ contention that the jurisdictional issue was a “controlling question of law,” as the four counts could be decided separately.
A March 30 ruling by Domitrovich denied the request to file for immediate appeal. The same day, she directed Equitrans to file a statement of errors complained of on the appeal within 21 days.
The state attorney general’s office declined to comment on the case Friday. EQT, which now owns Equitrans, had not responded to a request for comment by deadline Friday.
At a plea court hearing Tuesday, Domitrovich ruled in favor of Equitrans’ oral motion for an early return date on subpoenas for documents. They will be due by May 7.
No new hearing date has been set.
Pa. attorney general files criminal charges against Equitrans in 2018 Greene County, Pa. home explosion By Anya Litvak | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | October 31, 2023
Nearly five years to the day after an explosion leveled a home in Clarksville, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office has filed criminal charges against Equitrans Midstream Corp. over the blast.
The criminal complaint, filed in Greene County on Monday, accuses the Canonsburg-based company of violating Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law, and charges it with a felony and three misdemeanors, alleging gas from one of its storage wells leaked into groundwater and into the home of the White family, causing an explosion. The felony charge stems from Equitrans’ failure to launch a stray gas investigation after the blast.
The charges were recommended by a statewide investigative grand jury last Friday, which wrote in its presentment that “multiple lines of evidence demonstrate that escaping gas from Equitrans’ 3660 storage well ultimately caused the explosion of the Whites’ family home.”
The blast, on Halloween morning in 2018, occurred as Cody White turned on the stove to make his son a meal. His then 4-year-old son was in the bathroom and Mr. White’s girlfriend was in the bedroom upstairs. Mr. White, who was briefly knocked unconscious by the explosion, ran to their rescue. He unpinned both from collapsed pieces of the house and rushed them to safety outside, with all three suffering burns. Full story
Company charged in 2018 blast that leveled home and hurt 3, including 4-year-old boy
AP | November 1, 2023
Natural gas storage fields such as Equitrans’ Pratt field allow companies to store gas underground and to extract it during periods of high demand, such as the winter months. But Henry said the company had long acknowledged in federal filings “that the Pratt field was losing gas and that wells within the field were likely leaking.”
AG Henry said the company was charged at the recommendation of a grand jury with a felony as well as misdemeanor counts of violating the state’s clean streams law in failure to properly maintain a storage well and in not having performed a stray gas investigation after the explosion, Henry said. Full story
Equitrans, L.P. Charged with Failure to Maintain Gas Well that Caused 2018 House Explosion in Greene County
PennWatch | November 1, 2023
Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges against Equitrans, L.P. regarding the energy company’s failure to fix a natural gas leak that caused a house explosion in Greene County in 2018.
Three occupants of the home, a couple and their four-year-old son, sustained severe burns after the house at 161 Bowser Road exploded and caught fire on October 31, 2018.
An investigation by the Office of Attorney General revealed that a storage well near the White family home was deteriorating and leaking gas for years, resulting in methane contamination of the home’s water supply.
The 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Jury recommended charges under Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law regarding failures to properly maintain a storage well, and for not conducting an investigation after the explosion. Full story
Company Charged in 2018 Blast That Leveled Home and Injured 3, Including 4-Year-Old
Insurance Journal | November 3, 2023
The Halloween morning blast in 2018 occurred as a Clarksville man turned on the stove to make his 4-year-old son a meal. Authorities said the man was briefly knocked unconscious, then ran upstairs to free his girlfriend and the boy from collapsed pieces of the house and got them outside. All three sustained burns and the blast destroyed the building.
“Every citizen deserves to feel safe in their own homes, unaffected by the environmental hazards created by large corporations”
Pennsylvania AG Michelle Henry
Henry apologized to members of the family, who she said were present but didn`t speak, saying the family had no idea the underground field existed when they purchased the home. Pointing to pictures of the leveled house, she called it “a true miracle” that all three people managed to get out of the home alive. Full story
Attorney General Henry Announces Criminal Charges Against Equitrans For 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home In Greene County
PA ENVIRONMENT DIGEST
On November 1, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced criminal charges against Equitrans, L.P. regarding the energy company’s failure to fix a natural gas leak that caused a house explosion in Greene County in 2018.
Three occupants of the home, a couple and their four-year-old son, sustained severe burns after the house at 161 Bowser Road exploded and caught fire on October 31, 2018.
An investigation by the Office of Attorney General revealed that a conventional storage well near the White family home was deteriorating and leaking gas for years, resulting in methane contamination of the home’s water supply.
The 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Jury recommended charges under Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law regarding failures to properly maintain a storage well, and for not conducting an investigation after the explosion.
“Pennsylvanians have a right to feel safe in their homes, without concern for large corporations creating environmental hazards,” Attorney General Henry said. “This brave family has endured significant hardship, suffering physical and emotional injuries, financial stress, and the loss of their family home and cherished personal belongings. Companies have a responsibility to abide by regulations that help maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the communities where they work, and my office will be here to enforce the laws if they fail to do that.”
The investigation revealed that Equitrans owned and operated a natural gas storage field, Pratt Storage Field, directly underneath the White home.
Natural gas storage fields allow companies to store gas underground, after it is extracted, and still have quick access to it during times of high demand.
Gas that was stored in the Pratt Storage Field migrated vertically into the groundwater through a nearby storage well which was deteriorating and leaking.
According to the investigation, Equitrans had acknowledged in federal filings that preceded the explosion that Pratt field was losing gas and that wells situated within the field were leaking gas.
Equitrans was charged with prohibition against discharge of industrial waste, prohibition against other pollutions, and two counts of unlawful conduct under the Clean Streams Law.
On the day of the explosion, Cody White was home with his son and his girlfriend. After turning on the stove to cook a meal for his child, the house immediately exploded.
Cody helped his family out of the home, as both were knocked down by flaming debris. A neighbor called 9-1-1 when they saw the house on fire.
After the explosion, Equitrans was required by law to initiate its own investigation to determine the source of the gas leak.
Other companies operating in the area, including Peoples Natural Gas and EQT, hired investigators to determine the cause and source of the leak.
However, Equitrans failed to launch its own investigation into the source, despite operating a well just 300 feet from the White home.
This case was referred to the Office of Attorney General by the Greene County District Attorney’s Office in 2021.
It is being prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Franz. All charges are allegations. The defendant is innocent unless and until proven guilty. Full story
Equitrans Faces Criminal Charges in Greene County House Explosion
By Linda Ritzer | WJ Energy | November 16, 2023
… There are numerous natural gas storage fields in Western Pennsylvania, which allow gas operators to store excess gas underground in various geological formations that can be quickly accessed when demand is high or to balance pipeline capacity.
There are five main types of underground storage: salt caverns, mines, aquifers, depleted reservoirs and hard rock caverns. Many of those in this area, like the Pratt Storage Field, are depleted reservoirs that are no longer producing oil or gas. The removal of the oil or gas leaves behind pore space that can be used to store the injected natural gas. Equitrans Midstream, which is based in Southpointe, is a gas transmission company that operates pipelines, compressor stations, and 18 storage reservoirs throughout Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The family injured in the explosion filed a civil lawsuit against Equitrans, which is pending.
A company spokesperson provided a statement to the media indicating that it fully cooperated with the grand jury and presented evidence that it believes shows Equitrans operations were not responsible for the explosion.
Fifty-First Statewide Investigating Grand Jury (30-page PDF)
2023-11-01-Equitrans-PresentmentDownload
EXCERPTS: There was a significant amount of data and analysis of this data that the Grand Jury reviewed during the course of this investigation, including laboratory reports, meter readings, expert reports and internal correspondence. We also heard from multiple witnesses. The evidence revealed that methane gas from a storage field operated by Equitrans L.P. (Equitrans) migrated vertically into a groundwater aquifer by way of a mechanically deteriorated and badly leaking Equitrans storage well. This occurred immediately following a test during which the entire storage field was “shut in,” meaning gas was not being injected or withdrawn. The contaminated/polluted water traveled to the White’s well and the gas then made its way into the White’s home, causing the explosion and fire. During this investigation, the Grand Jury also discovered that Equitrans failed to adhere to a state regulation that required the company to immediately perform an investigation once it discovered that gas had been leaking. In light of the foregoing, the Grand Jury recommends that the company be charged with violating the Clean Streams Law.
The A.H. Hupp well, also referred to as the 3660 well, was located approximately 300 feet from the White family home.
It was originally drilled in 1930. It was reworked in 1951 and then converted to a storage well in 1968. We learned that the 3660 well only has cement in the innermost space between the smallest pipe and the next larger pipe. The cement was poured only between a depth of 2,846 feet and 1,615 feet. Above 1,615 feet, that innermost space is not cemented, and is open to air. The remaining annular spaces, between the larger diameter casings, never had any cement placed in them.
A vertilog was run on the well in 2013. The Grand Jury learned that a vertilog is a diagnostic tool that can identify signs of corrosion or metal loss within the innermost pipe. The 2013 vertilog indicated that there were 215 metal loss features present in the innermost pipe that exceeded 20% of the pipe wall thickness.
Applicable Environmental Statutes We have learned much over the course of this investigation about the applicable statutes that govern this conduct. We have reviewed the various statutory provisions within the Clean Streams Law that are pertinent to our investigation. “Industrial waste” is defined as any liquid, gaseous, radioactive, solid or other substance, not sewage, resulting from any manufacturing or industry, or from any establishment…’industrial waste’ shall include all such substances whether or not generally characterized as waste”.
- Section 691.301 makes it a crime to discharge industrial waste into the waters of the Commonwealth.
- Section 691.401 prohibits putting, placing, allowing or permitting to be discharged into any waters of the Commonwealth, any substance of any kind or character resulting in pollution. Section 691.611 makes it a crime to fail to comply with any DEP rule, regulation or permit, to fail to comply with any order or permit or license of the department, to violate any provisions of the Clean Streams Law to cause air or water pollution, or to hinder, obstruct, prevent or interfere with the department or its personnel in the performance of any duty.
- We reviewed 25 Pa. Code §78.73, General Provisions for Well Construction and Operation. This regulation states that “the operator shall construct and operate the well in accordance with this chapter and ensure that the integrity of the well is maintained and health, safety, environment and property are protected”. It goes on to state that “the operator shall prevent gas, oil, brine, completion and servicing fluids, and any other fluids or materials from below the casing seat from entering fresh groundwater, and shall otherwise prevent pollution or diminution of fresh groundwater”.
- We reviewed 25 Pa. Code §78.401 which governs activities associated with underground gas storage. Included within those provisions are regulations associated with the construction of storage wells, inspecting the field and wells, required integrity testing, maximum storage pressure, emergency repairs, record keeping and the plugging of storage wells.
- We have also reviewed 25 Pa.Code § 78.89. The section states, “When an operator or owner is notified of or otherwise made aware of a potential natural gas migration incident, the operator shall immediately conduct an investigation of the incident. The purpose of the investigation is to determine the nature of the incident, assess the potential for hazards to public health and safety, and mitigate any hazard posed by the concentrations of stray natural gas.”
- We find that Equitrans’ failure to adhere to the regulations that were applicable to its activities allowed methane to leave its underground storage reservoir and enter into groundwater in the area and ultimately into the White family water well. We further find that Equitrans failed to adhere to the regulation that required the company to immediately perform a stray gas investigation.
Stressed vegetation around the well.My contaminated water well also had stressed vegetation like this around it.
On July 17, 2020, DEP personnel at the site photographed areas of stressed vegetation around the well. A formal inspection occurred on July 27, 2020. At this time, DEP found the main well valve to be leaking. DEP measured 3700 ppm of methane. It was also discovered that 70% of the air coming out of the inner annular vent was methane.
In Equitrans’ response to DEP’s inspection, the company claimed that a bird’s nest inside one of the vents was the cause of the methane that was detected. DEP inspectors returned to the well on September 3, 2020. At that time, the bird’s nest had been removed and yet, methane was found to still be leaking from the main well valve, the production casing annular vent and the coal string annular vent.
Refer also to:
Think of the terror that poor dog experienced when its home exploded, killing one master, injuring the other. The oil and gas industry terrorizes everywhere it goes and operates.
2006: Bruce Jack Private water well explosion at Spirit River, Alberta
“Every citizen deserves to feel safe in their own homes, unaffected by the environmental hazards created by large corporations”
Pennsylvania AG Michelle Henry