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Update on Massachusetts Gas Explosion Last Year

EBEBRATT-Ed
EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,485
in THE MAIN WALL
https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/federal-charges-against-columbia-gas-of-massachusetts-following-2018-gas-explosion-to-be-announced/

Columbia Gas found negligent has to pay the Feds 53 million. It's parent company (NISourse) has to sell Columbia Gas and pull out of the state, no longer allowed to do business in MA.
Henry

Comments

  • GW
    GW Member Posts: 4,832
    Terrible someone died, and how they died is just super crazy
    Gary Wilson
    Wilson Services, Inc
    Northampton, MA
    gary@wilsonph.com
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Wow, absolutely no regard for human life or the well being of their customers. Leaving Massachusetts won't change the culture of the parent company or Columbia Gas. Where are the whistle blowers when you need them? Somebody with a little ethics had to know what was going on in the operations.
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,297
    So once again...............No Ones accountable?
    The agreement also states that “the U.S. Attorney does not intend to criminally prosecute any individual for violations of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act … for the conduct related to the allegations … the Event, or Defendant’s and NiSource’s restoration work in the Merrimack Valley.”
    If you or I do something not even close to as bad, WE go to jail. CEO's and executives are immune.
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,952
    They have better lawyers than we do.

    This really is the heart of everything being shoddy workmanship, the people making the big decisions aren't held accountable. Sometimes the person that executed it gets held responsible, but the management that led to the lack of training, supervision, and sufficient resources is not held accountable.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,862
    The rot is even deeper than that: not only is management not held accountable, though it certainly should be, but it's not encouraged to be accountable by the public -- by whom I mean the consumers themselves (I want lower rates!) or by the Public Utilities Commissions (you can't charge that for upgrades, that's too much -- denied!).

    Which (on the consumer side), I might add, accounts for some of the shall we say odd workmanship we see? (see the article by Dan on plastic pipe for steam...)
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,550
    Why do the feds get the 53 million? it should be payed to the customers who went through the ordeal.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    kcopp
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,485
    Columbia Gas remains responsible for any remaining work. They have to pay the Feds 53 million. Plus they installed all new boilers, driers ranges and any other appliances (they paid for all that, contractors did the installation) replaced miles of underground gas piping

    I didn't work on the job but could have many in my company did

    So they didn't get off easy, they put many in hotels, bought hot plates and space heaters for those that stayed. They had inspectors coming in from all over the state to keep up with the inspections. Contractors came in from across the state and from out of state but (the out of staters) were not allowed to work on their own, they had to have someone with a MA license at every location with them

    Can't do business in Mass anymore.

    Today it was announced that the Massachusetts business will be sold to Eversource with the sale to be complete this fall.

    They plan to rehire the Columbia employees

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