Jul 9, 2009 11:03 pm US/Eastern
Fire Depts Want Gas Companies To Reveal Leaks
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
There can be a gas leak right in your town and your local fire department might not even be notified. Sound crazy? It's true.
What makes it even crazier is that the gas companies keep a list of gas leaks in every community and don't want to share that list.
Just ask Lexington fire Chief Bill Middlemiss.
"To me what is disturbing is the lack of specificity to this list," Middlemiss said.
FIRE CHIEFS STRUGGLE TO GET LIST OF DANGEROUS LEAKS
Chief Middlemiss has something in his hand very few chiefs have. It's a list of potentially dangerous gas leaks.
Chief correspondent Joe Shortsleeve asked, "How hard was it for you, as a local fire chief, to get information about serious gas leaks in your community?"
Middlemiss responded, "Um, it took some time."
In fact, the chief says it took almost six months for National Grid to finally get him a list, a list that included grade one leaks -- leaks which presented an imminent threat.
Shortsleeve asked, "As chief of the Lexington Fire Department, did you know about all of the grade one leaks in your community?
The chief answered, "No, I don't think we knew about all of them."
GAS LEAKS CAN LEAD TO HOME EXPLOSIONS
Gas leaks and home explosions made for a very bad winter for gas companies.
In February, a 62-year-old woman died in a
home explosion in Somerset. A month earlier in
Gloucester a home owner was seriously injured in an explosion. He said he has complained about the smell of gas for weeks.
While explosions are rare, gas leaks are not. Gas companies track and service thousands each year.
GAS COMPANIES WITHHOLD LIST OF LEAKS
Shortsleeve says, "Now I have called the major gas companies. They have told me they have detailed lists of gas leaks in every community and that they grade them from one to three. One being the most serious. But if you ask to see these lists the answer is no!"
Chief Middlemiss says he wants "to know what is going on!"
LEGISLATION AIMS TO REVEAL LISTS
And the chief may get his wish. At least three pieces of legislation on Beacon Hill would require gas companies to provide more detailed information about gas leaks to the state and local fire chiefs.
Rep. Barry Finegold, a democrat from Andover, is the committee chairman.
"I think the public should have access. We want to make sure what happened in Gloucester and what happened in Somerset doesn't happen in (someone else's) own back yard."
GAS COMPANIES REFUSE TO SHARE LEAK LIST
Gas companies do not agree. A spokesperson for the Northeast Gas Association, Tom Kiley, tells WBZ, "We feel that the current system of monitoring system leaks is working well and that the responsibility of maintaining leak records belongs appropriately to the local gas utility."
PUBLIC SAFETY AN ISSUE
Paul Hibbard is the chairman of the state agency that regulates gas companies in the commonwealth.
"In any event where you can improve public safety by presenting information to the public, I think is a good thing," Hibbard said.
In many communities fire crews often respond to calls for gas leaks only to find out the gas company is aware of the leak and is already working on it.
State fire Marshall Steve Coan wants to know more too. He tells WBZ he is currently trying to "increase communications and the transfer of information between the gas industry and public safety officials."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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