Amendment ID: S2477-72

Amendment 72

Mapping of gas leaks

Ms. Creem, Mr. Eldridge, Ms. Jehlen, Messrs. O'Connor and Pacheco move that the proposed new draft be amended by inserting the following new section:-

SECTION _.  Section 144 of Chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting in place thereof the following new words:-

(e) (1) For the purposes of this subsection, the following words shall have the following meaning:- “global positioning system,” a positioning system using satellites that continuously transmit coded information. The information transmitted from the satellites is interpreted by receivers to precisely identify locations on earth by measuring distance from the satellites.

(2) As part of the annual service quality standards report required by section 1I, each gas company shall report to the department the following data as of the time of the report: (i) the location by street address and by the global positioning system of each Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 leak; (ii) the date each Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 leak was classified or reclassified; and (iii) the dates of repairs performed on each Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 leak; and (iv) the location of each such leak according to the global positioning system. A gas company shall specify any reclassification of previously identified leaks in its annual report.

(3) The annual service quality standards report shall include (i) definitions of terms and acronyms; (ii) methodologies and instrumentation used to detect a gas leak and to determine its grade; (iii) the location by street segment of all leak-prone infrastructure to be replaced; (iv) the percent of leak-prone infrastructure remaining under plans mandated by subsection (b) of section 145; (v) safety violations in the territory of a gas company, including but not limited to, over pressurization incidents, third-party hits, and natural force pipe failures, reported both as absolute numbers as well as by incidents per linear mile of pipe; (vi) the cost of replacing all leak-prone infrastructure as compared to repairing all known gas leaks in the gas company’s service territory; (vi) the cost to ratepayers of lost and unaccounted for gas; and (vii) progress by the department and the gas companies regulated under this chapter towards achieving the targets and benchmarks mandated by chapter 21N.

(4) The annual service quality standards report shall be posted electronically and publicly by March 1 by the department in spreadsheet format.

(5) The department shall post a map of all leaks by grade classification, showing the location of such leaks throughout the commonwealth.