Amendment ID: S2372-12-R1

Redraft Amendment 12

Repair gas leaks to reduce methane release

Ms. Creem, Ms. L'Italien, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Gobi and Mr. OConnor move to amend the amendment by inserting at the end thereof the following sections:-

SECTION XX. Section 144 of chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (c) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:

(c) Upon the undertaking of a significant project that exposes confirmed natural gas infrastructure, including the repair or paving of a public way, the installation, replacement or repair of an underground water or sewer line or underground electrical or other cable, a municipality or the commonwealth or other entity responsible for the aforesaid undertaking may submit written notification of the project to a gas company at least 6 months in advance of such project. Upon commencement of the project, the gas company shall survey the project area for the presence of gas leaks, and all gas leaks shall be repaired by the gas company to the extent such repairs are feasible within the timeframe of the construction project. 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. If a gas leak cannot be repaired within the timeframe allowed for the construction project, the gas company shall provide the repair and replacement schedule of any gas leaks detected during the survey performed during the project to the municipality or the commonwealth.  Gas companies shall coordinate with municipalities to determine which leaks shall be addressed by full replacement of lines and mains. A gas company that has previously submitted plans to the municipality or the commonwealth to replace existing gas lines or mains shall continue to adhere to those plans and the replacement projects therein in addition to any repairs of individual leaks as required by this section.

SECTION XX. Subsection (e) of said section 144 of chapter 164 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:- Gas companies shall also report to the department the total volume of statewide lost or unaccounted for gas attributed to Grade 1, Grade 2, or Grade 3 leaks located within the commonwealth. The report to the department on total volume shall rank Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 gas leaks also by estimated size, using the best information, methodology, and measurement devices available to the gas company, including but not limited to area of ground saturation and its experience with and history of the leak, and specify the age, material and size of the pipeline or infrastructure for each reported leak. The gas company shall prioritize, schedule and complete within twelve months of reporting the repair or elimination of the leaks ranked by size, starting with the largest size leaks, giving highest priority to any leaks in the top ten percent, in addition to Grade 2 leaks. The ranking shall be updated every six months, and the updated ranking shall be reported to the department.

SECTION XX. The department of public utilities shall open an investigation to establish specific criteria for identifying the environmental impact of gas leaks which have been classified as Grade 3 pursuant to section 144 of chapter 164 of the General Laws, and to establish a 5-year plan to repair such leaks.  The department shall promulgate rules regarding the timeline and acceptable methods for remediation and repair of any Grade 3 leak which is determined to have significant environmental impact.