Federal deregulation from the 1990's and nebulous federal court interpretation of the "Commerce Clause" thwart Kansas' attempts to ensure gas storage

[Emily]

The explosions lasted for days in 2001; next time it could be worse:

On Jan. 17, 2001, a natural gas explosion and fire destroyed two downtown Hutchinson businesses. (And that was only the beginning...)

Photo from Hutchinson Fire Department (see link to more photos below)
http://www.kansas.com/2011/10/02/2041721/neighbors-uneasy-as-gas-fields.html

Lawsuit leaves large gas storage fields in Kansas unregulated

By DION LEFLER
The Wichita Eagle

Published Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, at 12:08 a.m.
Updated Monday, Oct. 3, 2011, at 12:41 p.m.
[snip]
Kansas is Exhibit A for what can happen when gas escapes from an underground storage facility.

In January 2001, gas leaked from an underground salt cavern at Yaggy and flowed seven miles underground to Hutchinson, where it popped up through abandoned brine wells and exploded...