Mountaineer Gas suing West Virginia American Water over gas crisis on Charleston’s West Side - WOWK 13 News
Mountaineer Gas suing West Virginia American Water over gas crisis on Charleston's West Side | WOWK 13 News
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — Mountaineer Gas Company on Tuesday announced they are suing West Virginia American Water after a weeks-long natural gas crisis that left thousands without services on Charleston’s West Side.
The outage began on Nov. 10, when a water main break flooded 46 miles of gas line on Charleston’s West Side. After the incident, customers on Charleston’s West Side were without both gas and water, but water services were restored shortly after.
While water services were restored, the gas lines had to be flushed, dried and restored. The process left thousands of people on Charleston’s West Side without natural gas services throughout the Thanksgiving holiday, leaving some without heat, hot water and a way to cook a meal.
Mountaineer Gas claims that West Virginia American Water (WVAW) is completely at fault for the outage, not the gas company.
In a press release, Mountaineer Gas said they, “[demand] the water company pay” for the outage. They said WVAW should pay civil action expenses and damages awarded from those filings.
“We firmly believe the interruption of gas service to our customers is a direct result of the failure of the West Virginia American Water Company facilities, and we feel West Virginia American Water should be responsible for the significant costs incurred by Mountaineer,” said spokesperson and Senior Vice President Moses Skaff.
Megan Hannah, Sr. Manager, Government and External Affairs, for West Virginia American Water, said, “West Virginia American Water continues to reiterate that any speculation on the cause of its water main break or the Mountaineer Gas outage is premature until an investigation is complete. The company will fully cooperate with the Public Service Commission on its general investigation to determine the cause. West Virginia American Water has not seen the complaint and cannot comment further on its contents.” They also tell residents to submit claims by clicking here.
100% of natural gas customers have their service available, but some needed inspections done before it can be turned back on. Natural gas customers on Charleston’s West Side who were without services will receive a $75 credit on their next bill, according to Mountaineer Gas.
Some residents’ appliances were damaged by the flooded gas lines and will need to be replaced. Every appliance that is removed due to water damage is being replaced on Mountaineer Gas’ dollar.
Anyone affected by this was being urged to not fix anything by yourself and to wait for a Mountaineer Gas official.
Throughout the crisis, many local groups, organizations and fellow residents came to the aid of their neighbors who were without their natural gas services. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice also declared a state of emergency on Nov. 15, calling on the West Virginia National Guard to assist West Side residents.
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