Pipeline inspections ordered in Colorado after fatal blast

(AP) — A red-orange fireball that killed two people and destroyed a Colorado home prompted the governor to order sweeping inspections of natural gas lines and is certain to worsen tensions in state already divided over how to regulate the industry.

After the Frederick-Firestone fire department announced the results of its investigation, Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat and a geologist who once worked in the petroleum industry, quickly ordered inspections of all similar gas lines within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of occupied buildings.

The commission "must take decisive action and not allow any oil and gas activity unless it is proven to be safe to human health and our air and water," said Pete Maysmith, executive director of Conservation Colorado

[...] in March, Colorado's second-highest court ruled the oil and gas commission can put more weight on protecting public health and the environment when it draws up rules, giving environmentalists a new tool to argue for stricter regulations.

Dan Haley, president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said that "in the weeks and months that follow," energy companies want to work with regulators, homebuilders and local governments to prevent a repeat of the explosion.

Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Director Matt Lepore said the line was cleanly cut, which he said could mean it was severed by construction equipment while the neighborhood was being built.