Columbia Gas Executive: Restoration Will Be Done By Deadline

LAWRENCE, MA -- Columbia Gas of Massachusetts has fewer than 400 buildings to restore gas service to as part of the months-long recovery effort, but "that last mile is the toughest mile," the utility's president said Thursday. Steve Bryant appeared before Lawrence City Council, which grilled the executive on his company's response to the Sept. 13 gas explosions that killed one and left thousands of residents in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover without heat or hot water.

Bryant said Columbia Gas would meet a Dec. 16 deadline to finish restoring service to those buildings. In October, the utility pushed back the original deadline of Nov. 19. It has also focused on repairing heating equipment, meaning permanent replacement of damaged equipment won't happen until next year for many residents and businesses.

In addition to the house-by-house restoration effort, Bryant said Columbia Gas is installing valves on its gas mains with an aim of preventing another over-pressurization like the one believed to have caused the Merrimack Valley gas explosions.

Bryant said the company has "no plans" at this time to raise rates to cover the estimated $1 billion cost of the restoration effort, and noted any rate increase would need state approval. Last month the company drew fire when Steve Bryant, CEO of Columbia Gas-parent NiSource Inc., refused to rule out rate increases in testimony to a Congressional committee.

The company also has no intentions of leaving any of the three affected communities, Bryant told Lawrence City Council. “I don't know how that's consistent with the public interest,”" Bryant said when Councilor Marc Laplante said many of his constituents no longer wanted Columbia Gas doing business in Lawrence.

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File photo of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts President Steve Bryant (left) and NiSource Inc. CEO Joe Hamrock by Dave Copeland/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).