Columbia Gas Explosions: Natural Gas Service Will Take Months to Restore
The Columbia Gas explosions that occurred in Massachusetts on September 13, 2018 were devastating. It was a tragic natural gas emergency, killing one person, injuring 25, destroying dozens of homes, and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. The disaster will have lingering effects, as hundreds of homes will now be out of service for several months.
The main reason for the lengthy outage is that Columbia Gas is replacing 48 miles of its gas pipeline system within the impacted area. The old, cast iron pipes are being replaced with modern materials and extra safety measures.
Response & Recovery to the Columbia Gas Explosions
The response from Columbia Gas has received plenty of criticism, however, the incident is currently under investigation so the jury is ultimately still out.
Immediately after the explosions, several steps were taken. Communications were immediately deployed to residents urging them to shutoff their gas service and evacuate. Electrical lines in the immediate area were deenergized as well. Columbia Gas issued periodic status updates on its website and social media accounts, which is definitely a best practice.
From a recovery standpoint, the company is focused on both the physical recovery of its infrastructure as well as the recovery of its reputation. In terms of the former, Columbia Gas plans to hire 200 temporary workers to help expedite the aforementioned replacement of the 48 miles of pipeline. The company’s reputation recovery is taking the form of a retraction of its recent $33 million rate increase request, a $10 million recovery fund investment, and a willingness to defer the collection of gas service payments and late fees from customers.
It remains to be seen the degree to which these actions will help with the recovery. The only thing I can say with certainty is that the Columbia Gas explosions were devastating for the local residents, and nearly as bad for the company’s reputation.
