By Channel 9 Eyewitness News
news@kcautv.com
A Plymouth County company has agreed to a maximum civil penalty for violating Iowa's One Call law after unauthorized digging led to a natural gas explosions in April.
On April 25, Patrick and Cynthia DeRocher, owners of DeRocher Construction, failed to provide a 48-hour notice of excavations to install drainage tile in rural Plymouth County, near Hinton. During the excavation, DeRocher's tile plow hit and ruptured a 24-inch diameter natural gas pipeline. The dig was also approximately 100 feet from another 16-inch diameter natural gas pipeline. Both pipelines are owned and operated by Northern Natural Gas.
The damage to the pipeline caused a massive explosion and fire, injuring two employees who were hospitalized, creating a large crater (approximately 100 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 30 feet deep), scorching approximately 80 acres, destroying the defendant's tiling plow and bulldozer, destroying an overhead high voltage power line and power line poles, and causing substantial property damage to the pipeline company including loss of natural gas, damage to the pipeline, repair and remediation costs.
The Remsen Volunteer Fire Department, Hinton Volunteer Fire Department, Lawton Fire Department, Le Mars Volunteer Fire Department and Plymouth County Sheriff's Office responded to the incident.
One week later, on May, 2, 2012, DeRocher Construction again conducted excavations to install drainage tile, this time approximately ¼ mile from these same pipelines, without providing a 48-hour notice of the excavations.
Patrick DeRocher and Cynthia DeRocher have entered into a consent decree assessing the maximum civil penalty of $20,000, and consenting to a permanent injunction against further violations.
Attorney General Tom Miller said, "All they had to do was make one free phone call that the law requires, and they didn't do it."
This comes just days after the company that owns the pipeline, Northern Natural Gas Company of Omaha, filed a lawsuit for nearly $440,000 in damages.
That amount includes the cost of emergency response, inspection and repair work according to court paperwork.
