Columbia Gas agreed Tuesday to notify local fire departments about potentially dangerous gas leaks in the Merrimack Valley immediately, a change from their previous procedure that fire chiefs have been pushing for.
Massachusetts state law requires gas utilities to notify the local fire department of gas leaks that are classified as a grade one leak, which means they pose a hazard to persons or property, but doesn't specify when they must do so. Columbia Gas had been sending the local department an email the day after a potentially hazardous leak was fixed, much to fire department chiefs' frustration.
The change in practice comes as the Merrimack Valley fire chiefs are seeing an increase in reported gas leaks in the area since September's fires and explosions.