Safety board issues report on Kentucky pipeline explosion JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (AP) — A 2019 pipeline explosion that resulted in one death and the destruction of five homes in Kentucky happened when the pipeline ruptured and released natural gas caught fire, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. Fourteen other homes were damaged as the fire burned about 30 acres (12 hectares) in Lincoln County, the NTSB said. The 30-inch pipeline, owned and operated by Enbridge Inc., had a preexisting manufacturing defect known as a hard spot, the agency said. That combined with a degraded pipeline coating and ineffective cathodic protection led to cracking induced by hydrogen at the outer surface, the NTSB said. Cathodic protection prevents corrosion where the coating has been damaged, according to the agency. The NTSB said Enbridge''s integrity management program did not accurately assess the pipeline condition or estimate risk, contributing to the accident. In an emailed statement, Enbridge spokesman Michael Barnes said the company was “deeply sorry for the impact to the community and to the family who lost a loved one." He called the findings “a stark reminder" of the importance of safely maintaining and operating the company''s pipelines.