PLUM, Pa. — A quiet grass lot in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood once held three homes. Nearly two years ago, one of those homes exploded, killing six people. Now, the victims’ families are suing the companies they believe are responsible.
“It’s an image that’s hard to forget, especially for the Plum community,” said attorney Dom Guerrini. “Kelly Sebunia misses her husband every single day. His daughters miss their dad every single day. This is the next step in the process for them.”
>>> PHOTOS: House explosion in Plum Borough <<<
That next step is a lawsuit targeting several utility companies, including Penneco. The families claim Penneco’s gas line had a significant two-inch hole near the homes that exploded. Guerrini said the company was aware of pressure issues and failed to fix them.
“The Penneco line was found to have a significant, two-plus-inch hole in very close proximity to these homes,” he said. “Penneco knew there were issues with the pressure on its lines and did not correct the situation.”
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When asked for comment, Penneco’s chief operating officer, Ben Wallace, said:
“We haven’t been served with the complaint, nor have we reviewed it yet. However, we deny any responsibility for this unfortunate tragedy.”
People’s Natural Gas, which also serves the area, issued the following statement in response:
“It is important to note that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission conducted an extensive investigation and, at the conclusion of the investigation, found no evidence linking Peoples’ public utility infrastructure to the cause of the incident.”
Despite those denials, the families say they are committed to seeking justice.
“Number one, we are seeking compensation for the lives that were lost and the lives that were destroyed,” Guerrini said. “But more importantly, we need this to not happen again. We need these companies to do a better job of safeguarding the public to make sure gas does not accumulate in a residential home like this.”
The next step in the legal process is discovery, where attorneys will have the opportunity to question the companies involved and seek more information about what really happened.
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