The following item may come as welcome news to many residents of the Commonwealth. A reader recently pointed out a news item in Wicked Local Brookline on the hazard of aging gas lines. Milton DPW Joe Lynch in an update to the Selectmen cited issues with the gas company and their failure to attend to gas trenches in a timely fashion. You can see a sample of gas leaks in Milton in following illustration. (Click the illustration to go to page with full map).

courtesy of Conservation Law Foundation

News release from the office of Senator Brian A. Joyce

Senator Brian A. Joyce joined his colleagues in the Senate to unanimously pass a bill that establishes natural gas leak classification standards, requires gas companies to repair the most dangerous leaks immediately, and sets civil penalties for pipeline facility and gas transportation safety violations with federal law.
“The aging infrastructure of these pipelines can pose a serious public safety threat if left untreated” said Joyce. “Addressing this will head off potentially fatal leaks and make our infrastructure more attractive to job providers.”
The bill identifies a three-tiered classification system to identify natural gas leaks in the Commonwealth, ranging from a Grade 1 hazardous leak that requires immediate repair to a Grade 3 non-hazardous leak that must be reevaluated during the next scheduled survey or within one year. Grade 2 leaks represent a probable future hazard and must be repaired within one year.
In addition, gas leaks that are identified within a school zone must be prioritized under this bill and require the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to authorize the use of explosives within 500 yards of a natural gas pipeline.
The bill allows gas companies to propose plans to address aging or leaking natural gas infrastructure with priority given to the most immediate needs. Gas companies are also authorized to create programs to increase natural gas service for new customers with the goal of assisting low-income customers currently eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and DPU is required to exempt LIHEAP program participants from any surcharges that result from the expansion of natural gas service.