State Orders Columbia Gas To Stop All Non-Emergency Work In MA

LAWRENCE, MA — The state has ordered Columbia Gas to stop all non-emergency work in Massachusetts a week after another gas scare in the Merrimack Valley. The Department of Public Utilities has opened new investigations into the gas company. In a letter posted on Twitter by state Rep. Christina Minicucci, DPU Chairman Matthew Nelson ordered the company to stop all non-emergency work “unless the department explicitly approves specific requests to complete other work.”

“The department expects to approve work involving customer service connections and conversions,” the letter continues. Ongoing restoration work in the Merrimack Valley will also continue.

In a statement reported by Boston 25, Columbia Gas said,

"To ensure our customers can feel safe in their homes and businesses, we will be ceasing non-emergency work in Massachusetts effective immediately. We agree with the Department of Public Utilities that this is the appropriate and responsible course of action. We recognize many have lost their sense of security and we take responsibility for that. While we have taken significant safety steps over the past year, we fully understand that restoring and maintaining the trust and confidence of all our customers and officials will be a continuing process. We will continue to work closely with the DPU and government partners on our shared priority of enhancing safety for our customers and our communities.

BREAKING: Statement from @ColumbiaGasMA pic.twitter.com/dGjUwPT5Hv
— Mike Saccone (@mikesacconetv) October 3, 2019

The chairman’s letter gives no end date for the moratorium, leaving it up to the DPU’s discretion.

Earlier this week, the DPU ordered Columbia Gas to pay for an outside auditor and do other quality control, after a gas leak in Lawrence caused over 100 evacuations. That was the 12th set of orders since a series of gas explosions a year ago killed one person and forced thousands across Andover, Lawrence and North Andover to leave their homes.

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