BOSTON — Private citizens would be empowered to file lawsuits against federal regulators if they fail to enforce natural gas regulations under a bill filed by members of the state’s congressional delegation.
Presented by Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Lori Trahan, the Pipeline Accountability Act introduced Tuesday would require the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to update safety standards for existing pipelines and require that such lines be rapidly isolated in the event of catastrophic failures. A similar bill has been filed and failed previously.
The act also would remove limits on civil penalties for violations and allow private citizens and groups to take legal action against regulators for failing to enforce safety standards.
Federal regulators further would be required to consider climate impact, the lifespan of fossil fuel infrastructure, and plans for transitioning to fossil-fuel alternatives when setting pipeline standards.
The lawmakers say there is a need for more transparency and accountability for the natural gas industry. They cite the Sept. 13, 2018, Merrimack Valley gas disaster, when a swell of over-pressurized gas through underground lines fueled fires and explosions that destroyed five homes, killed a Lawrence teenager, injured dozens of other people, and forced the evacuation of 50,000 people, many of whom could not return home for months.
“Families in the Merrimack Valley still remember the terror and destruction of the 2018 gas explosions — a tragic reminder of what happens when pipeline safety falls short,” Trahan, a Westford Democrat, said in a statement. “No community should be left in the dark when leaks or explosions occur, and no family should have to live in fear because of outdated safety standards.”
Markey said the legislation will improve public safety by “closing loopholes companies use to operate old, unsafe pipelines and by ensuring communities know if disasters occur and have the tools to prevent them.”
“Our homes and our environment will be safer with strong standards, transparent rulemaking, and the power to hold violators accountable,” the Malden Democrat said.
The lawmakers filed a similar proposal last year, but it failed to gain traction. The proposal faces an even tougher slog in Congress this time around, with Republicans in control of the House of Representatives and Senate and President Donald Trump’s administration focusing on expanding fossil fuel energy sources and expanding natural gas pipelines.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, and Democratic legislative leaders pushed through a bipartisan series of statewide gas safety measures in 2018 in response to the Merrimack Valley disaster, including a requirement that certified engineers review plans for major gas projects.
The updated safety precautions included increased monitoring of gas work, improved communications, and devices that monitor gas pressure so that utility workers can quickly shut off gas flow in an emergency.
In Congress, lawmakers approved a federal law named after Leonel Rondon, the Lawrence teenager who died in an explosion during the gas disaster. The law requires similar safety measures on natural gas systems across the country, requiring federal regulators to implement new safety measures such as increased monitoring of gas work, improved public communications, and devices that monitor gas pressure so that utility workers can quickly shut off gas flow in an emergency.
But lawmakers say state and federal regulations need to be tightened even further to prevent another similar disaster in the future considering the thousands of miles of leak-prone natural gas distribution lines crisscrossing the country.
Besides the safety concerns, Massachusetts is under pressure to employ alternatives to natural gas to comply with requirements of a 2022 climate change bill, which requires the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to “net-zero” of 1990 levels by 2050.
Environmental groups have been prodding the state to force utilities to move away from new natural gas infrastructure as the state seeks to diversify its energy portfolio to include solar, wind and other renewable sources of power.
But industry officials argue the state will continue to need natural gas for a large portion of its energy, even as it turns to wind, solar and more renewable sources.
Nearly half of New England’s energy comes from natural gas, according to ISO New England, which oversees the regional power grid.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.