FirstEnergy, Enerfab fined over fatal gas leak

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Federal workplace safety officials levied $206,945 in fines on FirstEnergy Corp. and a contractor for a gas leak that killed two workers and injured four others at the state’s largest power plant last August.

FirstEnergy was fined $77,605, while Enerfab Inc., a Cincinnati-based contractor that was performing maintenance at the plant, was fined $129,340.

The companies have until March 20 to appeal.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration found that Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy failed to properly communicate to Enerfab the

dangers that the workers faced in the vault. It found that Enerfab failed to provide the proper respiratory protection for the workers.

The incident, which unfolded during the overnight hours on Aug. 29-30 at the Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant in Beaver County, involved the release of a toxic gas called hydrogen sulfide, also known as sewer gas.

A five-man crew of workers employed by Enerfab descended into a confined space with concrete walls to remove an elbow joint from a pipe, while one FirstEnergy employee supervised from the top.

At some point, the pipe burst, releasing hydrogen sulfide and likely a sludge of coal waste. Two workers could not escape — Kevin Patrick Bachner, 34, and John Michael Gorchock, 42, bothof Pittsburgh.

In November, their families sued FirstEnergy, claiming the company showed “carelessness and negligence.” Those claims are still before federal court.

In a statement, FirstEnergy said it is reviewing the citations.

“We will study the report carefully to determine the appropriate response and whether any additional steps should be taken to prevent this type of accident,” wrote spokeswoman Stephanie Walton.

“Immediately following the accident, we implemented a number of steps to enhance safety for workers performing similar work,” she added. “The company continues to conduct a detailed internal review of the incident.”