Pepper Pike gas explosion took place on newly installed line; Bain says much work needed before Brainard Circ – cleveland.com

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Mayor Richard Bain said at Wednesdays City Council meeting (Nov. 20) that the gas line explosion and resultant fire that took place at Brainard Circle just before 1 a.m. Nov. 15 was related to Dominion Energys installation of a new gas transmission line.

City Councilman Manohar Daga asked Bain if the explosion was related to the construction work.

The mayor replied: Yes, this was all related. Many of us have witnessed over the last six months (that) Dominion Energy has been installing a new, 30-inch gas transmission line that extends down the length of Brainard (Road), crosses the circle, continues on Brainard and heads west.

City Engineer Don Sheehy said the new line extends south to Chagrin Boulevard, while on the north end, it stretches to Fairmount Boulevard.

This has been a very large project that theyve been at, Bain said. (Dominion) is obviously taking this (explosion) very seriously.

A fire that reached about 80 feet in height and measured approximately 80 to 100 feet wide burned for several hours, necessitating police and firefighters from Pepper Pike and neighboring Beachwood to go door to door to evacuate residents living within the vicinity.

Bain said Dominion was able to access and shut down the gas line at about 3:30 a.m., and that it took about another half-hour for the gas that was already in the line to burn out and eventually put an end to the fire.

Bain spoke about the explosion and fire before a large turnout of residents, most of whom had filled the council chambers -- sitting on chairs, standing in the hallway and sitting on the floor -- to learn more about the possible redevelopment of the Beech Brook property, 3737 Lander Road.

The mayor, Police Chief Joseph Mariola and Fire Chief John Frazier gave those gathered an account of the activities of the evening and morning of the fire, and the cooperative work upon which rescue workers from Pepper Pike and Beachwood collaborated.

On Monday (Nov. 18), Bain spoke at the Beachwood City Council meeting and thanked workers from that city for their help.

We have to look at this as to the good that came out of it, Bain said. One, it showed that our critical event response (worked well), and it was great to see how both (Mariola and Frazier) operated, working side by side, communicating not only with the folks here, but with other agencies.

Bain praised the police and city personnel who worked extended hours in helping to keep residents safe. No one was injured by the blast or fire.

Theyre (Dominion) doing everything they can to get the gas line replaced as quickly as they can, but that is by no means the end of the investigation or the turmoil thats going on on the circle out here (across the street from City Hall, where the explosion took place)," he said.

Earlier in the week, Bain sent out a release to residents stating that the investigation into the cause of the explosion could take several weeks.

Brainard Circle repairs

Brainard Circle is largely closed, leaving Lander Road as the only way to approach City Hall, 28000 Shaker Blvd.

Bain said a lot of work remains to be done in the area of the explosion.

"Theres a lot going on under that roadway besides the gas pipe line. Theres sewer lines, storm water lines, water lines -- theres all sorts of stuff that goes on that we never see. Thats all layered above the gas pipeline, which is 18 feet down, roughly.

"There are structures dating back to the 1920s that are under the road. All of this has to be dealt with, and Dominion is handling this with a very thorough investigation.

Causation has not been determined. Obviously, something went terribly wrong with this gas pipeline. Something went wrong on a brand-new gas pipeline. Theyre going to figure it out," Bain said.

Bain said that in the coming weeks, residents are going to see a lot of excavation taking place in Pepper Pike.

Theyre going to go around the city and check a lot of the connections and the welds on the pipe that was installed to ensure theres safety for our community. Theyre going to figure this thing out. Its sort of like deconstructing an airline crash. Its going to take awhile.

While attempts will be made to get Brainard Circle open as soon as possible, the mayor could not say how long that might be. We just dont know, he said.

There are big holes out there, Bain said of Brainard Circle. Even if you think you see pavement, there might be a big hole under that pavement.

He said that gas building up under the pavement is causing bridging of the road surface. (There are) enormous voids under the pavement, and its simply not safe out there.

Service department addition

Council decided not to take action Wednesday on a proposal to add an extension to the current service department building on the City Hall grounds. Architect Paul Deutsch recently presented to council a plan that would cost about $1.9 million. The added space would allow for service vehicles to be parked indoors and for restrooms to be added, among other things.

The matter will be given a third reading and a possible vote in December.

See more Chagrin-Solon Sun news here.

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Pepper Pike gas explosion took place on newly installed line; Bain says much work needed before Brainard Circ - cleveland.com