The Oklahoma Corporation Commission signed off Thursday on a $1 million settlement with Oklahoma Natural Gas company following a January residential gas explosion in Oklahoma City.
As part of the deal, first reached Oct. 11, ONG won’t be allowed to rate the rates of customers forcing them to pay for the settlement of $1.010,000. Administrative Law Judge Michael Porter okayed the settlement and recommended it be approved by the full commission as reported by OK Energy Today.
“They have agreed there will be no attempt to recover that money through any future ratemaking action here at the Commission,” explained Patricia Franz, Director of the OCC’s Transportation Division. The settlement came after the Commission cited ON for negligence in failing to repair 8 pipeline leaks in the Oklahoma city residential neighborhood where several homes were literally destroyed in the blast.
“We want to reinforce to our customers, the system is safe and safety is our top priority,” said Cherokee Ballard, a spokesman for ONG following the Oct. 11 agreement approved by the Administrative Law Judge.