2 men charged with risking catastrophe while working on Lawrence County pipeline
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- Two men are accused of falsifying paperwork and risking a catastrophe while working on a natural gas pipeline project, the Pennsylvania attorney general's office announced on Friday.
The attorney general's office said Welton Darl Shipe, a quality assurance manager at EnTech Energy, hired Joseph Berkich as an industrial radiographer to x-ray and evaluate the integrity of welds on sections of the pipeline, but Berkich allegedly wasn't trained or certified and gave EnTech paperwork with multiple forged signatures.
When EnTech brought in another firm to re-examine Berkich's welds, the attorney general's office said the firm determined some of the materials Berkich used weren't up to industry code and he signed off on a total of seven bad welds that threatened the project's integrity and endangered the public.
The attorney general's office said Shipe later directed a welder and Berkich to come in on a weekend when the project inspector wasn't there to cut out the bad welds without reporting the repairs, which can lead to an increased risk of leaks and the potential for the weld to become an ignition source.
Berkich is charged with forgery, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, tampering with public records, tampering with records or identification, risking a catastrophe and criminal conspiracy.
Shipe is charged with tampering with public records, tampering with records or identification, risking a catastrophe, criminal conspiracy and unsworn falsification to authorities.
"These men allegedly put lives at risk by carelessly ignoring certifications and safety assurance requirements in an effort to profit from pipeline work," Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a press release. "Unfortunately, we have seen recently the devastating environmental impacts of such carelessness, and my office is committed to holding accountable those who put the environment and our citizen's health and lives at risk. "
