After Rhode Island Beach Explosion, Old Power Lines May Be Removed
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo wants the Coast Guard to remove abandoned power cables near state beaches after a corroded copper cable was named the likely cause of an explosion that injured a beachgoer.
Scientists determined that the July 11 explosion at Salty Brine Beach in Narragansett was probably caused by the combustion of hydrogen that had built up around the cable.
The cable was installed under the sand in the 1950s. It powered navigational lights before it was disconnected and abandoned. A new cable was installed in the 1980s. The Coast Guard later converted its navigational aids to solar power.
Both cables have been removed from under the beach, but portions remain under water beyond the low tide line.
The Coast Guard is reviewing Raimondo's request.
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