How to be rich - kill your customers

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/harlem-gas-explosion-highlights-aging-nationwide-infrastructure/

March 14, 2014
Michelle Miller

A gas explosion that destroyed two buildings in New York City on Wednesday and killed at least eight people may have been caused by a leak from an ancient gas pipe, investigators say.

New York City has 1,300 miles of gas mains made of cast iron and unprotected steel. On average, these pipes are 53 years old.

This tragedy has now cast a harsh spotlight on the aging, leaky pipes that compose much of the country's natural gas infrastructure.

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"I've seen a lot of loss of lives, loss of property, serious maiming and injuries, from people who were injured because their gas lines were 100 years old," said Patrick Kennedy, who trains investigators looking into pipeline explosions.

From 2000 to 2011, utilities lost track of some 2.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in their pipes. But, there's little incentive for them to fix their leaky pipes, when they can easily pass the cost of lost gas to their customers. According to Markey, those gas leaks cost consumers about $20 billion.