Trahan bill seeks to improve gas safety

BOSTON — Private citizens would be empowered to file lawsuits against federal regulators if they fail to enforce natural gas regulations under a new proposal filed by Congresswoman Lori Trahan, which would set stringent new rules aimed at improving pipeline safety.

The Pipeline Accountability, Safety, and Environmental Standards Act, filed on Tuesday, would require the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to update safety standards for existing pipelines and require that pipelines be rapidly isolated in the event of catastrophic failures.

It would also remove limits on civil penalties for violations and allow private citizens and groups to take legal action against regulators for failing to enforce pipeline safety standards

Federal regulators would also be required to consider climate impacts, the lifespan of fossil fuel infrastructure, and plans for transitioning to fossil-fuel alternatives when setting pipeline standards.

Trahan said the plan would build on new federal regulations approved by Congress in response to the Sept. 13, 2018 Merrimack Valley gas disaster, when a swell of overpressurized gas through underground lines fueled fires and explosions that destroyed five homes, killing a Lawrence teenager, injuring dozens and forcing the evacuation of 50,000 people.

"As we approach the sixth anniversary of the Merrimack Valley gas explosions, we must do everything in our power to prevent another tragedy like it from happening again," Trahan, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement.

Then-Gov. Charlie Baker and lawmakers pushed through a series of statewide gas safety measures in 2018 in response to the Merrimack Valley disaster, including a requirement that certified engineers review plans for major gas projects.

The updated safety precautions included increased monitoring of gas work, improved communications, and devices that monitor gas pressure so that utility workers can quickly shut off gas flow in an emergency.

In Congress, lawmakers approved a federal law named after Leonel Rondon, the Lawrence teenager killed in the gas disaster, that requires similar safety measures on natural gas systems across the country.

The law requires federal regulators are required to implement new safety measures such as increased monitoring of gas work, improved public communications, and devices that monitor gas pressure so that utility workers can quickly shut off gas flow in an emergency.

But lawmakers say state and federal regulations need to be tightened even further to prevent another similar disaster in the future with thousands of miles of leak-prone natural gas distribution lines crisscrossing the country.

"If pipelines leak, break, or fail, then we need to plug, seal, and boost the federal safety and accountability rules that protect our cities and towns," said Sen. Ed Markey, who filed the Senate's version's of the bill. "This legislation would help ensure communities are actively involved in pipeline safety, that climate impacts are accounted for, and that standards are updated and modernized."

Besides the safety concerns, Massachusetts is under pressure to employ alternatives to natural gas to comply with requirements of a 2022 climate change bill, which requires the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to "net-zero" of 1990 levels by 2050.

Environmental groups have been prodding the state to force utilities to move away from new natural gas infrastructure as the state seeks to diversify its energy portfolio to include solar, wind and other renewable sources of power.

But industry officials argue the state will continue to need natural gas for a large portion of its energy, even as it turns to wind power, solar and more renewable sources.

Nearly half of New England’s energy comes from natural gas, according to ISO New England, which oversees the regional power grid.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com