Gas Safety Bill Pass MA Legislature As Part Of Climate Package

ANDOVER, MA — Gas safety legislation filed in response to the 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions passed the Massachusetts legislature as part of a climate policy package, state Rep. Frank Moran said Tuesday.

The bill awaits Gov. Charlie Baker's signature.

“The Merrimack Valley gas explosion was the result of complacency and human error on the part of Columbia Gas,” Moran said in a statement. “This legislation will ensure that an entirely preventable tragedy such as this, that resulted in loss of life and incredible financial devastation to many working-class families, is never allowed to happen again.

The explosions killed one, injured 22 and damaged 131 structures across Andover, Lawrence and North Andover. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the explosions were caused by "weak engineering management" by Columbia Gas, which has since been forced to leave the state as part of a federal case.

Federal legislation introduced in response to the explosions was also recently passed.

The state bill:

• "Requires the Department of Public Utilities to issue new regulations relative to training and certifying utility contractors
• Instructs the DPU to set standards for maintaining gas distribution maps and records
• Directs gas companies to report "disruptions in the provision of electronic data" as a service quality metric
• Extends whistleblower protection to utility employees who report violations of law by their employers
• Increases the penalties for failure to restore service after emergencies
• Raises the cap on civil penalties for gas pipeline safety violations, allowing for fines in excess of those set by federal law
• Requires all written complaints regarding gas service to be investigated and responded to in a timely manner, and directs the DPU to establish a publicly accessible database of such complaints
• Strengthens gas company plans to address aging and leaking infrastructure, by setting interim targets for reducing gas leak rates and authorizing the DPU to levy fines for non-compliance."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.