PLUM, Pa. — Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Rich Negrin announced Aug. 25 they secured combustible gas detectors for the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum Borough following an explosion that took the lives of six residents and damaged multiple homes. The detectors will be provided at no cost to residents. The origin of and cause of the incident in Plum remains undetermined and is under investigation.
Olympus Energy, a Pennsylvania-based company, donated 250 detectors to the Rustic Ridge Homeowners Association. DEP personnel are partnering with the homeowners association to distribute the detectors to residents of Rustic Ridge. DEP’s team of experts will provide residents with guidance for identifying the best location in their homes to install the detectors.
DEP inspectors began conducting a stray gas investigation at the incident Aug. 14 to look for sources of combustible gas near the site of the explosion and inspecting nearby natural gas-related facilities and infrastructure under DEP’s jurisdiction.
