Newton Pushes Governor On Gas Regulation After Merrimack Valley

NEWTON, MA — Newton is joining a chorus of municipalities and activists urging the governor to address safety and environmental risks associated with natural gas company operations, pointing to the gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley as reason to put into action old legislation.

Residents from an estimated 8,000 Merrimack Valley homes were displaced when a series of fires and explosions, believed to be caused by over-pressurization of a gas main, rocked Lawrence, North Andover and Andover in September. Thousands are still without gas and Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency.

"We count on you to protect us from the risks associated with the use of natural gas," reads a letter dated Oct. 30, from the mayor and City Council addressed to Baker and the Department of Public Utilities.

City Council President Marc Laredo said the letter was prompted by what happened in the Merrimack Valley, but it hits close to home. In 2015, a year after then Gov. Deval Patrick signed a law requiring gas companies to report gas leaks, Newton found out there were some 500 leaks in the Garden City. That number has since grown to above 600.

"It highlighted for us that we need to make sure we are monitoring and overseeing our gas infrastructure carefully so that we don't have some similar situation here," said Laredo. "Bottom line: We're trying to be proactive rather than reactive."

Because municipalities have very little regulatory oversight over what happens to gas line infrastructure, the city is calling on who does have regulatory oversight.

This isn't the first time Newton has tried to get the attention of gas companies and the governor.

For years groups such as Mothers out Front, HEET, and other environmentalists have been asking for something to be done about aging gas infrastructure beneath Newton. Mothers Out Front have been at the forefront of mapping and social media campaigns to encourage gas companies to fix leaks that have killed trees, waste gas and pass along the cost of the leaks to consumers.

"It's a brilliant letter. I can't say enough about how gratifying it was to see it," said Ellie Goldberg, of Mothers Out Front and Green Newton. But, she said, it's not asking for anything new.

"It's calling for enforcement of existing regulations, it's joining the uprising," she said.

In 2014 and 2016 the Commonwealth adopted legislation requiring the identification and remediation of gas leaks. Both laws directed the DPU to adopt implementing regulations. To date DPU has not adopted regulations to implement either of these laws.

City Councilor Deb Crossley, who sits on the Public Facilities Committee, said she called the law division at the governor's office a month ago to see where the 2016 legislation rules stood.

"They told me to watch for a set of rules imminently," she said.

But that's what they've been saying for two years. Now, a month after the Merrimack Valley gas explosions and with the National Grid Lockout, it seems a perfect storm.

"The work pace has slowed down, people have been having trouble getting gas connections when they need them. Almost the only work getting done is emergency work," said Crossley. "My concern is who's watching the store? Who's making sure that the work is being done fastidiously? Who are the inspectors and what are they inspecting?"

The letter, she said, gives the governor a push to focus on answering those questions.

"The consequences of not doing so are now in our face. This is only the most egregious manifestation of what is a system wide problem," said Crossley.

DPW Commissioner Jim McGonagle has been working proactively with gas company the past few years, sharing the city's plans in advance to coordinate gas line road replacement. It's made some difference, she said. But it's a baby step.

There haven't been many coordinated projects, said Goldberg.

"I want to find solutions to this, but I do feel very strongly that we need a partner in our state government not a DPU that's looking the other way," said Crossley.

Take a look at the letter here:

Related:

• Mothers Out Front Take On Gas Leaks in Newton
• Map Reveals 480 Natural Gas Leaks in Newton
• Newton, MA - Gas Leaks
• Governor Patrick Signs Legislation to Address Gas Leaks

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Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).