Final Decision On $143 Million Gas Settlement Under Advisement

NORTH ANDOVER, MA— A judicial decision is pending on the $143 million Columbia Gas class action settlement after a hearing Thursday. Superior Court Judge James Lang heard arguments for and against the proposed settlement Thursday, after granting preliminary approval in October. Under the settlement, payouts to victims of the Sept. 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions would range from $50 to $15,000 depending on impact.

Thursday's hearing came on the heals of the announcement Wednesday that Columbia Gas would plea guilty to federal charges of violating the Pipeline Safety Act. As part of that deal, the utility's parent company NiSource will pay a $53 million fine, sell Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and leave the state. NiSource announced Wednesday evening that Eversource would be buying the company for $1.1 billion.

The Sept. 13, 2018 accident ultimately killed one, injured 22, and damaged 131 structures in Andover, Lawrence and North Andover, as well as leaving many residents unable to return to their homes for months. The National Transportation Safety Board's final report on the accident, released in October, found that "weak engineering management" by Columbia Gas was responsible for the deadly explosions. The company also faces investigations at the state level.

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera has repeatedly asked the judge to reject the settlement, arguing the $23.5 million that would go to the lawyers is too much. Rivera again appeared in court Thursday to make his case, CBS Boston reported.

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