Olympic Pipe Line Co

A gasoline pipeline leak ignited a fireball that barreled down a creek for a half-mile Thursday, burning two youngsters. The explosion near the city's water treatment plant on Whatcom Creek sent a cloud of black smoke about 30,000 feet into the sky over this northwest Washington city, witnesses said. "It looked like Mt. St. Helens!" said Michele Higgins, public information officer for Whatcom County Emergency Services.

Officials on Monday asked airlines not to refuel their planes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a weekend explosion shut down the 400-mile pipeline system that delivers the airport's jet fuel. "We've asked the airlines to, when possible, fly in here with enough fuel on board to get to their next destination," airport spokesman Bob Parker said. Workers at Olympic Pipe Line Co.'

The families of two boys killed in a 1999 gasoline pipeline explosion while playing along a creek will share a $75-million settlement from the pipeline company. The parents of Wade King and Stephen Tsiorvas said Wednesday that they will spend much of the money to fight for pipeline safety reform and other causes. Their lawsuit had been set for trial April 22. "It's a rough day for me, despite the fact that we got $75 million, whatever that means," said Tsiorvas' mother, Katherine Dalen.

PG&E Corp. told federal regulators Friday that its utility has nearly $1 billion in fire insurance to cover liabilities from the deadly natural gas pipeline blast in San Bruno, but added that its financial condition "could be materially adversely affected" if the insurance coverage falls short or isn't available. Skittish investors fled PG&E's stock, wiping out about $1 billion in the San Francisco company's market value on Friday. PG&E shares plunged $4.03, or 8.4%, to $44.21 in heavy trading.

When a gasoline spill and explosion killed three young people in Washington state, officials announced a record penalty against a gas pipeline company: $3 million to send the message that such tragedies "must never happen again." When nuclear labs nationwide were found to be exposing workers to radiation and breaking other safety rules, assessments totaling $2.5 million were ordered.