BGE Fined $430K For 2019 Columbia Shopping Center Explosion

COLUMBIA, MD — In 2019, business owners and shoppers were rocked when a massive gas explosion destroyed a Columbia shopping center. Now, utility company BGE has been fined more than $430,000 in the incident by the Maryland Public Service Commission. It also must respond to the results of a survey that revealed an additional 1,250 sites must be remediated.

The PSC found BGE violated gas and electrical lines, which caused the explosion at the Lakeside Office Building in August 2019. Specifically, the commission found that the explosion was "the result of both a violation of gas and electric regulations in [the Code of Maryland Regulations]," according to the order that was issued.

The commission's report revealed BGE violated numerous state and federal statutes and regulations. The commission cited one violation in particular, that the company did not have the minimum separation of underground lines specified for joint trench installations in its internal standards.

BGE released a statement Friday afternoon, noting that it has been working to improve 253 gas and electric common service trenches configured the same as those involved in the Columbia explosion.

"Currently, 57 projects are completed or in construction, with the remaining in engineering design in preparation for construction. As part of this plan, we are also similarly addressing approximately 1,000 other locations with a smaller diameter gas pipe (1 1/4-inch) than the Stanford Boulevard to bring them up to current safety standards. This work will ensure the safe and reliable operation of the BGE system so that an event like Stanford Boulevard does not happen again," the company noted.