Faulty Welds Confirmed as Pipeline Culprit

Last month, the newsletter team questioned if faulty welds could be behind the California pipeline explosion in September. Since then, Robert P. Fassett, director of integrity management and technical support at the gas operation utility, has confirmed this to be so. He told The New York Times that the seam at the rupture point was only welded to 50% of the pipe's thickness. As pressure rose and fell in the pipe, the seam would've become weak throughout the years.

Confirmation of the faulty weld seam was surprising to those at the operation facility as the welding technique used was "considered the gold standard."

The National Transportation Safety Board will soon investigate the condition of the pipe and determine whether they believe the company took enough precautions to minimize damange.

Source: The New York Times