Goodbye, Columbia Gas
By 
Leonel Rondon, the 18-year-old killed in the Merrimack Valley gas explosions, can never be brought back, but other customers of Columbia Gas say they will rest more safely with the news that the company will no longer be doing business in Massachusetts.
The US Attorney’s office announced Wednesday that Columbia Gas of Massachusetts agreed to plead guilty to violating a national pipeline safety standard, which could have prevented the over-pressurization of its gas distribution system that resulted in the September 2018 explosions.
US Attorney Andrew Lelling accused the company of “a wholesale management failure” and “a pattern of flagrant indifference in the face of extreme risks to life and property,” according to the Boston Globe.
The gas explosions in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover killed Rondon, severely disabled one person, injured 22 people, caused a massive evacuation, and damaged 130 homes and businesses.
Wednesday evening, Eversource announced a $1.1 billion deal with Columbia Gas to purchase all of Columbia Gas’s assets, more than doubling Eversource’s natural gas customer base from 300,000 to 630,000. The deal must still be approved by state and federal authorities.
The Globe reported that, separately, a state judge on Thursday is set to approve a $143 million settlement that Columbia Gas reached with affected residents in a class action lawsuit. The company already agreed to pay more than $80 million to the three affected towns and reached an undisclosed settlement with Rondon’s family.
State politicians were not completely satisfied with the agreement.
US Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the guilty plea “puts other gas companies on notice that they will be prosecuted for prioritizing profits over safety.” But Warren said there continues to be “a glaring weakness” with the settlement. “This was a massive failure of the company’s safety culture — and somehow no individual executive is being held accountable,” she said.
US Sen. Ed Markey called it “a small justice” for Rondon and the affected communities that Columbia Gas will no longer operate here. But, he said, “This fine is a mere slap on the wrist, and will not do nearly enough to dissuade other massive billion-dollar energy companies from future negligence or from exploiting the same regulatory loophole.”
Warren, Markey, and Rep. Lori Trahan, who represents Lawrence, have introduced a bill in Congress named after Rondon that would enhance federal safety standards for gas pipeline work.
US Rep. Seth Moulton, who represents North Andover and parts of Andover, noted that it will take time for Columbia Gas to be sold. “Nobody I represent has confidence in this company’s ability to provide service safely,” Moulton said. “Peace of mind will not return until Columbia Gas/NiSource is out of business in the Merrimack Valley.”
This is not the end of the road for Columbia Gas, which still faces an investigation by the state Department of Public Utilities. A DPU spokesman said the agency is continuing its investigation, and the administration “is committed to ensuring Columbia Gas of Massachusetts is held accountable for systemic failures in its gas distribution system.”
Lelling declined to say whether the DPU should have known about Columbia Gas’s problems before the explosion. The DPU has improved its safety processes in response to the incident.
In Lawrence, Mayor Daniel Rivera reiterated the sentiment he has been expressing since the explosions, according to the Eagle-Tribune: “It will be a great day in the Merrimack Valley and in the Commonwealth when Columbia Gas of Massachusetts no longer exists.”
SHIRA SCHOENBERG
Massachusetts is facing a transportation crisis. Roads, bridges, and transit statewide urgently need investment. The gas tax, which has increased by only 3 cents since 1991, is a proven, stable, and immediate solution to make our commutes better. Learn more at www.t4ma.org/progress.
BEACON HILL
The House unveils its long-awaited transportation funding bill, which includes an increase in the gas tax, ride-hailing fees, and corporate taxes. (CommonWealth) CommonWealth’s Shira Schoenberg highlights five flashpoints with the legislation.
Top Baker public safety officials push for a bill that would reform the State Police after a series of scandals, including the creation of a new cadet program to promote diversity. (State House News Service)
A state task force fails to reach consensus on whether to raise the age at which criminal offenders are subject to the juvenile justice system. (CommonWealth)
The FBI is investigating allegations of widespread fraud in the state’s massage therapist licensing office, according to the Globe.
The Senate is slated to take up a bill today that would allow communities to install cameras at traffic lights to catch red-light running scofflaws. (Boston Globe)
At a State House briefing, supporters of early college programs talk them up and call for more funding. (State House News)
MUNICIPAL MATTERS
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse’s brother, Doug Morse, dies after a long struggle with heroin addiction. (MassLive) He died of an overdose. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)
A proposal by Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia to consider “income-adjusted” parking ticket fines got a cool reception from her colleagues. (Boston Herald)
WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
President Trump downplayed the risks of coronavirus in the US at a briefing where health experts said it is inevitable that there will be more cases in the country. (Washington Post) More than 80 percent of coronavirus cases are mild, according to a new study, but that could make the epidemic harder to contain. (New York Times)
An Appeals Court rules that the Trump administration can withhold law enforcement grants to states — including Massachusetts — to force them to comply with federal immigration laws. (AP)
ELECTIONS
Massachusetts lawmakers who support Joe Biden held a State House rally. (MassLive)
EDUCATION
After 14 months of tough negotiations, stalemates and arbitration, teachers and the Acushnet School Committee and School Administration have agreed on a new contract. (Standard-Times)
HEALTH/HEALTH CARE
A Suffolk County man in his 40s becomes the fifth person to die of vaping-related illness in Massachusetts. (MassLive)
Massachusetts public health officials are monitoring 231 people who are “self-quarantined” for coronavirus after traveling to China. (State House News Service) In total, 600 people have been monitored. (AP)
ARTS/CULTURE
A wave of community and financial support likely will keep Centerville’s bookstore Books by the Sea afloat after its owner fell victim to an online ordering scam. (Cape Cod Times)
Scituate’s newly renovated Front Street Art Gallery will be the venue for the annual Scituate High School art exhibit from March 5 to 29. (Patriot Ledger)
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Protection Agency officials plan to seek a “national priority” status for a section of the Neponset River in Boston that runs from Hyde Park to Lower Mills, a designation that could lead make that stretch of the river eligible for superfund status. (Dorchester Reporter)
Efforts to bring Canadian hydroelectricity to Massachusetts could be tripped up by a ballot question on whether to allow power lines to run through Maine. (Boston Globe)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS
Despite Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Sec. Thomas Turco confirming the closure of MCI-Framingham at a public hearing, a communications officer is still telling the Telegram & Gazette that the decision to close the prison is not yet final, and it could be years before anything happens.
A deported Cambodian refugee is readmitted to the US to fight his immigration case. (MassLive)
The family of a Brockton man who died in custody at the Plymouth County jail is suing the sheriff and the state for $8 million in his alleged wrongful death. (The Enterprise)
MEDIA
The Boston Globe sues the State Police for allegedly failing to comply with the state’s Public Records Law. (Boston Globe)
In an opinion piece, Paul Waldman says ABC News should be ashamed for suspending David Wright for comments he made in private that were captured by Project Veritas’s James O’Keefe. (Washington Post)
After The New York Times reported on an interesting experiment taking place at The Big Bend Sentinel in Texas, media critic Dan Kennedy wonders if news organization-owned venues can revive civic engagement and interest in local journalism.