Aging infrastructure leads to gas leaks | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

One of the problems facing all communities, including Palm Beach, is an aging natural gas delivery system. These steel pipes deteriorate over the years and sometimes cause some surprises and potential dangerous outcomes. Florida Public Utilities is trying to keep up with a regular replacement schedule, but sometimes emergency situations take precedence. Click title for link. From the article:

Three weeks earlier, a downed power line came into contact with a leak on Chilean Avenue, igniting a fire on the sidewalk. That leak was capped on Dec. 2 by Florida Public Utilities, and the blaze, with flames up to 5 feet high, was extinguished by Fire-Rescue workers.
The problem is that old gas lines are made of steel, and they corrode after so many decades of use, said Aleida Socarras, a spokeswoman for FPU.
The utility company is in the midst of a project to replace more than 350 miles of pipe in its service area, which covers Palm Beach County and parts of Central Florida. That task will take about 10 years to complete.