AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) – The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday ordered an investigation into Northern Utilities’ safety practices following two gas leaks, one of which resulted in a house explosion, this month.

The investigation was ordered because of concerns about what the PUC called a series of “troubling events” and whether they warranted a detailed review.

“Ensuring public safety is first on the list of the commission’s duties in overseeing regulated utilities,” said PUC Chairman Kurt Adams. “Essential services like gas must continue to be delivered to our homes safely.”

A call to Northern Utilities’ corporate offices in Massachusetts was not immediately returned.

The commission cited three recent incidents in ordering the investigation.

In April, an overpressurized gas line resulted in the evacuation of 92 homes and businesses in Saco, the PUC said. On Oct. 1, a house in South Portland was leveled after a gas leak explosion. This week, a neighborhood in Cape Elizabeth was evacuated after a gas leak in a home.

In the South Portland case, a PUC investigator issued a notice of probable violation Tuesday finding that Northern Utilities marked gas lines in a “reckless or negligent manner.” In the Saco incident, PUC staff found it likely that the utility failed to protect against accidental “over-pressuring” of gas lines in that area.

The commissioners are asking PUC staff to investigate whether those incidents are an indication that the utility may not be providing “safe, reasonable and adequate service to customers” as required by law.

AP-ES-10-09-07 1720EDT

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