Some Gas Restoration Work Won't Happen Until After Winter

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- Columbia Gas of Massachusetts won't meet a November 19 deadline to restore gas service to thousands of houses and businesses in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor said Friday. In a statement, Maylor said local officials had pressured the utility to outline a new plan when it became clear Columbia Gas would not meet a Nov. 19 deadline. Under that new agreement, Columbia Gas will replace all stoves and driers by Dec. 16, but some heating units will need to be repaired ahead of the winter months and possibly replaced after winter.

"I have no doubt that for many of the residents and businesses that remain impacted this must be frustrating news. It is frustrating for me as well," Maylor said. "In many ways this new plan raises new questions that will need to be answered. When exactly will my heating unit be replaced? Will I have the option to move my gas service meter? Who do I call during the winter if my now repaired heating unit breaks? How does the repair effect the warranty on my boiler? When will my driveway or lawn be repaired?"

Maylor's statement was the first signal that the recovery from the Sept. 13 gas explosions will extend well into next year. Under the new program, furnaces and boilers damaged in tghe explosions will be repaired for the winter, and then replaced next year. Replacement has been taking as long as four days, officials said, but the repairs can be completed in a few hours.

Columbia Gas did not respond to requests for comment from Patch Thursday afternoon and Friday morning about its progress. On Friday afternoon, Andover Town Manager Andre Flanagan released a statement and said he expects many residents to see gas service restored before the new, Dec. 16 date.

"This is an unprecedented crisis. Andover's town officials will remain at the table every day until every pipe, meter and appliance is fixed; every driveway, lawn and street repaired; and every home and business made whole again, Flanagan said. "The people of the Merrimack Valley are victims who did nothing but pay their gas bills and put their faith and trust in a utility company."

Maylor's statement suggested the original Nov. 19 deadline to complete all gas restoration work had been based on overly optimistic estimates of how long certain jobs would take to complete. But he also noted that some residents could see gas service restored well before winter officially starts.

"To expedite meeting the date established in the original plan we made decisions based on verbal commitments from Columbia Gas," Maylor said. "Given that there is a new plan, one which extends well into next year, verbal commitments will no longer be acceptable."

Under the new plan, Maylor said North Andover will expect the following from Columbia Gas:

1. An written plan that specifically identifies what each resident/business can expect from Columbia Gas and when.
2. That Columbia Gas continue to provide the necessary resources to respond to service questions and claims. These resources must remain local.
3. That Columbia Gas create a financial incentive for residents that will have their heating units temporarily repaired if they choose to hire a local plumber or other qualified contractor to replace the repaired boiler over the winter.
4. That Columbia Gas commit to the curb-to-curb replacement of ALL roads impacted by the gas main replacement work associated with this disaster.

The utility said Thursday that it remains ahead of schedule for replacing 44.5 miles of gas main lines and 6,100 service lines in Andover, Lawrence and North Andover. But the company remains well off the pace of restoring service to individual homes and businesses as it tries to meet a Nov. 19 deadline to fully restore gas service in the Merrimack Valley following the Sept. 13 gas explosions.

As of Thursday afternoon, the company had replaced 42.2 miles of the main line and 4,343 service lines. But service had been restored in just 829 buildings, a total that accounts for just 10.7 percent of the 7,772 buildings the company needs to service. Columbia Gas has brought in contractors from as far away as Arizona and said it would continue ramping up efforts and hiring subcontractors at it tries to meet the deadline.

The company's efforts have been hindered by finding more work than anticipated as its crews visit individual homes. The company has fallen behind its goal of restoring service to 896 homes this week every day this week. On Thursday, for example, the company had set a goal of restoring service to 194 homes but only managed to restore service in 61.

The company has declined to set a new deadline date. That could set up confrontations with customers on Saturday, when the company has scheduled open houses in all three of the affected communities. NiSource Inc. Chief Executive Officer Joe Hamrock and Columbia Gas of Massachusetts President Steve Bryant are expected to deliver remarks at those events.

Another 209 people were moved into temporary housing on Tuesday, bringing the total number of people living in hotels, RVs and subleased apartments to 6,953. Of those, 5,734 were in hotels, 1,169 were in trailers and 50 were in apartments.

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Patch file photo.

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