Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG) / Columbia Gas — Corporate Overview

Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG — formed 1943 out of the Standard Oil / Standard Oil of New Jersey holding-company breakup; historically headquartered Pittsburgh PA and later Richmond VA after the 2000 acquisition by Dominion Resources) was one of the largest U.S. integrated natural-gas holding companies, producing, gathering, transmitting, storing, and distributing natural gas across the Appalachian gas basin. Through the asbestos era CNG operated through its principal subsidiaries — East Ohio Gas Company (Cleveland OH), The Peoples Natural Gas Company (Pittsburgh PA), Hope Gas Inc. (West Virginia), Virginia Natural Gas, CNG Transmission Corporation, CNG Producing Company, and predecessor Columbia Gas System affiliates — a network of interstate transmission pipelines, gas-compressor stations, gas-processing plants, underground gas-storage fields, and local distribution utilities across Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, and New York.

Premises Description

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that pre-1980 Consolidated Natural Gas and Columbia Gas premises — including gas-compressor stations, gas-processing and dehydration plants, underground storage fields, transmission pipeline pump stations, and district distribution operations — allegedly involved asbestos through:

  • Asbestos pipe covering on compressor-station high-pressure discharge piping, gas-plant process piping, and steam auxiliaries
  • Asbestos-block lagging on gas-plant amine reboilers, glycol regenerators, and process heaters
  • Asbestos-refractory linings on compressor-station gas turbine and reciprocating-engine exhaust stacks
  • Asbestos-fabric expansion joints on compressor-discharge headers and dehydration unit ducts
  • Asbestos-packed valve stems on high-pressure gas control valves, station suction and discharge blocks, and storage-field wellhead valves
  • Asbestos gaskets at compressor-station reciprocating-engine cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, aftercoolers, and interstage piping
  • Asbestos-block cork insulation on cold-side chillers, expander turbines, and NGL fractionation columns
  • Asbestos sprayed fireproofing on compressor-hall structural steel and gas-plant control-room ceilings (pre-1973 EPA ban)
  • Asbestos-fabric arc chute plates in compressor-station switchgear, motor-control centers, and station-service transformers
  • Asbestos-millboard, gaskets, and lagging on district-gas regulator stations, city-gate meter-and-regulator plants, and industrial customer step-down stations

Consolidated Natural Gas Company (including subsidiaries East Ohio Gas, The Peoples Natural Gas Company, Hope Gas, Virginia Natural Gas, and predecessor Columbia Gas affiliates) has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Plaintiffs allegedly worked at CNG and Columbia Gas compressor stations, gas-processing plants, storage fields, and district operations across the Appalachian basin — including East Ohio Gas territory (Cleveland OH, Youngstown OH, Akron OH), Peoples Natural Gas territory (Pittsburgh PA, Butler PA), Hope Gas territory (Clarksburg WV, Charleston WV), CNG Transmission mainline compressor stations across WV/PA/OH/NY, Virginia Natural Gas (Norfolk VA, Newport News VA), Columbia Gas of Kentucky (Lexington KY, Ashland KY), Columbia Gas of Maryland, and Delaware distribution operations — in trades including:

  • CNG / Columbia Gas station operators, gas dispatchers, and maintenance crews (compressor mechanics, meter-and-regulator techs, storage-field operators)
  • Insulators (HFIAW Local members) applying and removing asbestos pipe covering, block, and lagging on compressor discharge headers, gas-plant process piping, and reciprocating-engine exhaust stacks
  • Pipefitters (UA Local members) breaking asbestos-gasketed flanges on compressor cylinders, gas-plant reactors and columns, and high-pressure transmission piping
  • Boilermakers (IBB Local members) servicing compressor-station reciprocating-engine gas compressors, gas-plant amine reboilers, and process-heater firetubes
  • Electricians (IBEW Local members) working compressor-station switchgear, motor-control centers, station-service transformers, and cathodic-protection systems
  • Millwrights rebuilding reciprocating-engine gas compressors (Cooper-Bessemer, Clark, Ingersoll-Rand) and centrifugal gas compressors
  • Turbine mechanics on compressor-station gas turbines (GE Frame 3/5, Solar Centaur, Rolls-Royce Avon) and expander turbines
  • Contractor trade workforces dispatched to CNG / Columbia Gas capital construction, mainline expansions, and station overhauls

If You Worked at a Consolidated Natural Gas / Columbia Gas Facility

If you or a family member worked at a Consolidated Natural Gas Company compressor station, gas-processing plant, storage field, or district distribution operation — or at East Ohio Gas, The Peoples Natural Gas Company, Hope Gas, Virginia Natural Gas, CNG Transmission, or a Columbia Gas subsidiary — during the asbestos era, as an employee or as a dispatched contractor trade worker — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Plants by State

Consolidated Natural Gas / Columbia Gas operated compressor stations, gas plants, storage fields, and distribution operations across multiple U.S. states. Detailed premises information is available on the following state jobsite pages: