ICYMI: Dozens of Gas Leaks Across Lexington

By Frank O’Laughlin (Patch Staff)

Dozens of potentially damaging natural gas leaks have been located across Lexington, some of which have been leaking the volatile gas for more than 20 years.

The location of more than 20,000 gas leaks was recently revealed as part of a new state law, which requires utility companies to report the location and age of all know gas leaks.

According to a map based on a study done by the Home Efficiency Energy Team — a non-profit in Cambridge dedicated to achieving climate stability — Lexington has 93 unrepaired gas leaks, the oldest of which dates back to 1993.

• Click here to view Lexington’s map and see if the leaks are in your neighborhood>>>

Audrey Schulman, president of the Home Energy Efficiency Team, told The Boston Globe that the leaks are in fact a major health and environmental hazard.

“The leaks are potentially explosive, kill trees, harm human health, and release an extraordinarily destructive greenhouse gas,” he said.

Utility companies are required to fix any potentially explosive leak, but are not required to repair those deemed nonexplosive, no matter the size of the leak, HEET reports. State Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) and state Sen. James Eldridge (D-Acton) have proposed legislation to address the potential public health hazard.

The legislators have proposed a bill that would prohibit utility companies from passing the expense of the wasted gas onto consumers, hoping to provide an incentive for utilities to fix the leaks more quickly. When a similar bill was introduced in Texas, more than half the leaks in that state were fixed within three years, HEET notes.

A second bill would require the utilities to fix all gas leaks in roads already opened up for other repairs. The goal is to make it less expensive for utilities to repair the leaks — providing them another incentive to act more quickly — and reduce the likelihood of needing to reopen streets for pipeline repairs.