Town Of Arlington Calling On National Grid To Repair Gas Leaks

Photo: Madison Rogers (WBZ)

ARLINGTON, Mass. ( WBZ NewsRadio ) — The Town of Arlington is demanding National Grid fix over a dozen large-scale gas leaks over the next few months.

According to Arlington's Gas Leaks Task Force, National Grid recently reported that there were 181 natural gas leaks in town at the end of March. That is ten more leaks than were reported at the end of 2022. Eight of the leaks were reclassified as more dangerous.

"Following the Select Board's resolution in March, the Town has gotten National Grid to plan repairs at four of the utility's large volume leaks in town, but dozens more large volume leaks remain, as do hundreds of minor leaks," the Task Force said Monday. "Whereas the state allows National Grid a period of years to make repairs, the Select Board resolution called for repairs to 14 large volume leaks by July 2023. National Grid's response to the Select Board did not comply with the requested timeline."

David Morgan, Arlington's environmental planner, spoke with WBZ NewsRadio on Mystic Street, a few blocks away from where National Grid says a major leak is.

"As many as 14 parts per million," Morgan said as he tested the air with a portable gas detector. "You get a sense of just how large these leaks are."

Morgan told WBZ that the Task Force could not rely on National Grid to continually measure the amount of natural gas in the air, so they took it into their own hands.

"It's a quality of life issue," Morgan continued. "People that we’ve encountered when we’ve been on site doing testing like this are unable to open their windows. The scent of gas and the attendant health effects are so looming."

WBZ's Madison Rogers ( @MadisonWBZ ) reports.

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