Investigators say Columbia Gas of Kentucky did not violate any safety rules at a Lexington hotel that exploded last year after a natural gas leak.
The Kentucky Public Service Commission announced Wednesday that an investigation revealed that the gas company followed safety regulations regarding protection of meters from accidental damage.
On Sept. 7, a car hit an above-ground gas meter outside Fairfield Inn & Suites in Beaumont Centre. The resulting gas leak fueled a large explosion that collapsed a large portion of the 60-room hotel, causing severe damage to three floors. No one was seriously injured.
Investigators say the gas meter met the standards in place when the meter was installed in 1994. Concrete pillars have since been placed around the meter at the hotel, which reopened in May.