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As new details emerge surrounding the deadly house explosion in Lexington, Missouri, the state legislature is considering a new bill that would increase accountability for gas companies and contractors.
The initial investigation into the explosion revealed issues with Liberty Utilities, the gas line company, procedures at the site and the response by emergency crews.
According to the report, Liberty Utilities did not properly mark an underground gas line before Alfra Construction contractors started digging on April 9.
Contractors hit the line three hours before the home on Franklin Avenue exploded. That explosion killed five-year-old Alistair Lamb and seriously injured his father, Jacob Cunningham, and 10-year-old sister, Cami Lamb.
The report also found emergency responders did not notify any of the families on the block about the gas line damage and gas leak, but did evacuate a nearby business.
The bill that's in the Missouri Legislature would add stricter provisions for companies locating underground gas lines and for the contractors digging around them. It was filed months before the Lexington explosion happened, but it passed the Missouri Senate just one day after.
Now, it's up to the Missouri House of Representatives to get it on the governor's desk before legislative session ends next week.
A national organization known as the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) established the 'Best Practices' for digging underground. The document outlines the standards for locating gas lines, digging around them and the responsibility to nearby homes.
CGA's president and CEO Sarah Magruder Lyle explained Missouri sees more than an average of 1,000 damage incidents to buried utilities a year. That average includes the incident in Lexington.
"[The NTSB] were very clear that the line that was damaged wasn't marked, and that is a challenge given that a five-year-old died as a consequence," Magruder Lyle said. "The whole process has to work to keep the community safe."
She explained Missouri is joining several other states by potentially legally adopting the organization's Best Practices into law.
"When we are doing our best to follow best practices, that is our best chance of making sure something like [Lexington] doesn't happen," Magruder Lyle said.
Missouri 811's executive director is optimistic the legislation would tighten up accountability for companies and contractors.
"We'd hope that the legality would bring a greater level of awareness and being cognizant," Randy Norden said.
The legislation would add a 21-day time limit to dig after companies mark an area for underground lines. It would mandate any new underground lines installed include a detectable location device that can be detected above ground with an electronic device, with the exception of sewers installed greater than six feet underground, and give a voice to contractors by adding them to the Missouri 811 governing board.
"[The bill] is just going to help prevent these line strikes and just enhance our protections that we have here in Missouri," 8th District State Representative, Josh Hurlbert, said.
Hurlbert, is handling the bill on the house side.
"I'm hopeful that we can get it across the line, it can get in place and that it'll be beneficial to protecting Missouri households," Representative Hurlbert said.
The consequences for companies that do not follow the 'Best Practices' would be the same as what's already in place in Missouri. Companies would be fined up to $10,000 a day for each violation.
It's now going through the House committees before a final vote. Magruder Lyle emphasized the clock is ticking to get the bill into law.
"This is about as timely and current and needed as anything else, I would argue, that's sitting in committee right now," Magruder Lyle said.
Representative Hurlbert expressed his optimism with getting the bill through.
"We're in a position where we're just one vote away in the House from sending it to the Governor's desk," Representative Hurlbert said.
As for the families impacted by the explosion, a second lawsuit has been filed for damages.
Jacob Cunningham filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the four companies involved in the incident.
Shayne and Alicia Billings also lived on Franklin Avenue at the time of the explosion. They claim in their lawsuit against the same four companies involved that Liberty Utilities, Alfra Communications, United Fiber and Sellenriek Construction were negligent leading up to the gas line damage and subsequent explosion.
They are seeking damages in excess of $50,000.
