Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Merrimack Valley Gas Fires and Explosions To Be Subject of Senate Hearings
My office released the following statement today about announced Senate hearings-
“The severe and ongoing hardships experienced by residents, local businesses, and the tragic loss of life caused by the gas explosions and fires in Andover, Lawrence and North Andover. These disruptive, disquieting and disturbing circumstances, must be carefully examined, and a pair of Senate oversight hearings in December are intended to do just that.
Gas companies are regulated utilities and we must understand the events and circumstances that caused the situation. The legislature has an important role to play with state regulators to make sure their operations are safe, effective and efficient.
Given the toll these events have taken on the Merrimack Valley, it is imperative that we conduct thorough hearings to examine what went wrong and what legislative or regulatory actions might be employed to prevent any future similar incidents anywhere in the state in the future.
While the scale of the Merrimack Valley incident is unprecedented, we must do everything possible to prevent any threats from natural gas to public safety in our Commonwealth.”
Senator Tarr is a member of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy and he represents residents of North Andover, one of the communities impacted by the September 13th gas fires.
