U.S. Senate wants answers on blasts
Panel plans hearing in Merrimack Valley
The U.S. Senate will hold a hearing to look into the fatal gas fires and explosions in the Merrimack Valley earlier this month, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey said yesterday.
The hearing, which has not yet been scheduled, will be held in the Merrimack Valley, a spokeswoman for Markey said. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which oversees pipeline incidents, will hold the hearing. Warren and Markey said committee leadership has committed to a hearing, but a specific time and place have not been determined. A Columbia Gas spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the company’s cooperation.
Yesterday, Warren and Markey sent another letter to Columbia Gas and its parent company, NiSource, asking for information about the company’s recovery plans. The Senators have sent a series of letters to the company, requesting specific information about Columbia’s actions before and after the deadly incident. Yesterday’s letter focuses on the plan to distribute hot plates and space heaters to residents who are still without gas.
“There is an inherent safety risk in these products,” the senators wrote. “All families that have or will receive these electric hot plates and space heaters need to be extra cautious.”
Beginning last weekend, crews began distributing the appliances to affected residents in an effort to reduce the inconvenience to residents without gas service. But licensed electricians traveling with the space heaters have said only 10 percent of homes can safely run the heaters, Lawrence Fire Chief Brian Moriarty said.
In the letter, Warren and Markey asked about arrangements for residents whose homes cannot handle the space heaters, as well as details on the equipment that has been distributed.
“Because of the increased risk associated with these temporary appliances and their long-term use, we are requesting additional information about your company’s response to this disaster and what products you are making available to the affected residents,” the letter said.
The letter also asks Columbia to detail the product specifications for the appliances, as well as the process the company went through to ensure safety. Fire officials and safety advocates have warned both hot plates and space heaters pose an increased fire risk.
“The risks associated with these products are still real,” the letter said. “A recent FEMA report found that portable heater fires ‘caused an estimated 90 deaths, 175 injuries and $84 million in property loss.’”