Mass. senators, reps demand answers from Columbia Gas
Columbia Gas has yet to respond to queries from U.S. senators and representatives demanding answers as to why natural gas explosions destroyed as many as 80 homes, injuring at least 25 people and killing an 18-year-old in the Greater Lawrence area.
“Columbia Gas failed families all across Merrimack Valley and still refuses to answer basic questions on how the devastating gas fires and explosions happened,” U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “We’ll keep pushing for a congressional hearing and a speedy NTSB report so we can get to the bottom of this.”
Warren and U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey sent a letter to CEO Joe Hamrock of NiSource, the parent company of Columbia Gas, more than a week ago with a series of questions related to how the crisis occurred, with a request to respond by Sept. 19. They also requested a Senate Commerce Committee hearing.
According to Warren and Markey’s offices, they have not heard back on either.
“Getting answers from Columbia Gas and NTSB on the accident in two weeks is too long. We want answers now,” Markey said. “The electricity might have come back on, but residents of the Merrimack Valley are still in the dark.”
The senators pointed to the company’s spotty past operating in Massachusetts. In 2012, a Columbia Gas worker punctured a mislabeled steel service line, resulting in an explosion that injured 17 people and caused $1.3 million in property damage, according to the letter. Columbia Gas leaks also occurred in Walpole in 2004 and 2007, Easton in 2007, West Barnstable in 2009, West Springfield in 2011 and Seekonk in 2012.
Similarly, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton sent a letter last week with U.S. Reps. Joseph P. Kennedy III and Niki Tsongas asking for the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold a special hearing. Moulton’s office said they too have yet to receive an answer.
“If Columbia Gas can’t even handle responding to a simple letter, regulators shouldn’t trust them with ensuring American’s safety,” Moulton said.
In the letter to the E&C Energy Subcommittee the representatives wrote: “This is a tragic moment for thousands of residents in the Merrimack Valley, some of whom lost absolutely everything. Congress, through this Subcommittee, must conduct proper oversight to understand what happened, what went wrong, and how we can ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Warren’s office stressed the importance of getting a timely preliminary report from the NTSB and scheduling a hearing. Markey spoke directly with Chairman John Thune and Ranking Member Bill Nelson to ask for the hearing after sending the letter with Warren, according to his office.
“I have spoken with the heads of Columbia Gas and its parent company, NiSource. On literally every question I asked, I was told ‘We can’t say.’ Is it that they can’t say, or that they won’t say? Residents who’ve suffered injury or who have lost homes have more questions than answers,” Markey said. “We still know next to nothing about what went wrong on Sept. 13, and that is unacceptable.”
A Columbia Gas representative didn’t return requests for comment.