Chevron gas well fire claims a worker's life in Southwest Pennsylvania

StateImpact Pennsylvania traveled to the scene after a Chevron natural gas well in Greene County exploded on Feb. 11, 2014, killing one worker and injuring another. The fire burned for five days before it was extinguished, but it took more than a week to find the remains of 27-year-old Ian McKee, a contract worker with Texas-based Cameron International.

Chevron sustained widespread criticism for its response to the incident, especially for giving out coupons for free pizza as an apology to nearby residents.

Two months after the fire, StateImpact Pennsylvania broke the story that Chevron had blocked state personnel from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from accessing the site for nearly two days following the fatal explosion.

In its after action review released in August, the DEP admitted blame for failing to immediately assert its authority and criticized Chevron for being “too guarded.”

Listen to our broadcast coverage here (in five parts):

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