WFAA-TV

This is the type of connection that will have to be replaced.

AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission of Texas voted 2-1 to force natural gas utilities to dig up and replace older compression-style couplings, costing them millions of dollars that could be passed on to customers.

The move to replace the older, rubberized couplings that link underground natural gas lines to homes comes after two fatal explosions since October 2006 in North Texas in which the couplings were implicated. A series of News 8 investigative reports first broadcast last month focused on the dangers.

"We're doing this as an abundance of caution," said commission chairman Michael Williams. "We’re in the middle of an ongoing process" to evaluate all compression couplings used in the state, he said after the meeting.

Dallas' Atmos Energy Co. has about 100,000 of the couplings in North Texas. It had already been replacing the older couplings when they were found to be leaking during normal maintenance checks, and said in a statement Monday night that it was concerned about safety and would comply with any new rules from the commission.

Commissioner Victor Carrillo voted against the move to immediately force utilities to replace the couplings, saying he thought the commission should follow a traditional rule-making process that allows public and utility comments. He was concerned that faced with a multimillion-dollar directive with no say that utilities may sue the commission for overstepping its authority. He also questioned whether there was enough evidence to suggest the couplings were defective and posed an immediate safety risk.

A Wylie couple was killed Oct. 16, 2006 when their home exploded. The railroad commission’s investigator initially suspected earth shifting had pulled the compression coupling from the riser. His conclusion was changed to conclude nothing about the cause and say the investigation focused on whether contractors digging near the line may have caused the leak.

Utilities have two years to replace their compression couplings and will have to update the commission on their progress every six months. Utilities have frequently passed on the cost of improving their systems to customers in the form of higher rates.