The Iowa Utilities Commission held a hearing at their offices in Des Moines Thursday after an inspection last June of the Black Hills Energy service area in Spencer found more than 100 safety issues spanning 16 different categories.
The IUC sayS none of the findings posed a threat to the public, but they are concerned about the high number of problems identified. They also say there are issues in other service areas across the state, including Council Bluffs.
Black Hills Energy attorney Adam Buhrman acknowledged the company needs to improve its practices. “And we’ve spent considerable time evaluating the issues raised by the commission, reviewing our processes and operational practices, and identifying opportunities to strengthen our compliance programs going forward,” he says.
Black Hills Energy provides natural gas to 133 Iowa communities. The commission questioned staffing levels and said Black Hills Energy has more than three times as many probable violations as utilities such as MidAmerican Energy.
Company gas operations vice president Kevin Jarosz (jar-ooos) called the findings eye-opening. “We firmly commit safety to our employees, our customers, and the communities that we serve, and we also commit to a strong compliance program, investment in our infrastructure, and continuously improving where we need to,” he says.
The commission will consider the testimony and other evidence in deciding what penalties and corrections are needed.
(By Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)