SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2410        FILED ON: 1/28/2016

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2287

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sal N. DiDomenico

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act ensuring the safety of residents, first responders, and gas workers.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

 

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

1/28/2016

Kenneth J. Donnelly

Fourth Middlesex

2/1/2016

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

5/5/2016

Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.

26th Middlesex

5/26/2016


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2410        FILED ON: 1/28/2016

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2287

By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2287) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Sal N. DiDomenico, Tackey Chan, Kenneth J. Donnelly and Daniel J. Ryan for legislation to ensure the safety of residents, first responders, and gas workers.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act ensuring the safety of residents, first responders, and gas workers.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 144 of Chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (c) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

(c)(1) Upon the undertaking of a significant project on a public way exposing confirmed natural gas infrastructure, and with sufficient notice, a municipality or the commonwealth shall submit written notification of the project to a gas company. The gas company shall survey the project area for the presence of Grade 1 or Grade 2 leaks and set repair and replacement schedules for all known or newly detected Grade 1 or Grade 2 leaks. The gas company shall ensure that any shut off valve in the significant project area has a gate box installed upon it or a reasonable alternative that would otherwise ensure continued public safety and that any critical valve that has not been inspected and tested within the past 12 months is verified to be operational and accessible. The gas company shall provide the repair and replacement schedule of gas leaks to the municipality or the commonwealth.

(2) Upon the undertaking of any planned project involving excavation for purposes of performing maintenance on or construction involving any gas mains or services by gas company employees, or any blasting work, the gas company shall ensure that its employees first locate and identify and mark all gas gates and valves, and verify that all are cleared, operational and accessible in clear sight at ground level in advance of any excavation; and that said gas gates and valves are left cleared, and operational following any such project.

(3) The gas company shall ensure that any shut off valve in the significant project area has a gate box installed upon it by its employees to ensure continued public safety.

(4) The gas company shall provide the municipality or the commonwealth with written confirmation that the gas gates and valves have been cleared, inspected and tested by its employees and found to be capable of accepting a gate key; and, shall provide the municipality or commonwealth with undated, correct information if the location of gates or valves is determined to have been previously improperly located. 

(5) Failure to undertake verification that gas gates and valves have been cleared, and are both operational and accessible prior to the start of and following an excavation, or blasting work, shall be subject to a fine of up to $10,000.  Failure to submit written confirmation of such verification shall be subject to a fine of $200 per day.