NTSB: Valve leak fueled 2021 pipeline blast that killed 2

FARMERSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Federal investigators say a valve leak and a spark of unknown origin combined to cause a North Texas natural gas pipeline explosion last year that killed two workers and injured two others. In a report issued Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said a work crew was inserting an inline tool into the Atmos Energy pipeline near Farmersville when an explosion shot the tool from the chamber at the workers. Investigators say they also found scratches and gouges in a mainline valve seal, creating leaks. Also, the report says Atmos training didn’t prepare the workers to recognize the developing hazard.