Columbia Gas to pay USD143 million for Merrimack Valley explosions

Columbia Gas and its parent company, NiSource Inc. have announced on Monday to pay USD143 million as settlement for Merrimack Valley explosions, according to media reports. The plaintiffs include thousands of Andover, North Andover and Lawrence residents and businesses that were impacted by the disaster.

The company has already inked an $80 million settlement with Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover over road repairs and other related costs.

The explosion that happened in September last year, affected three Massachusetts communities, displaced about 8,000 people, killed one man, injured nearly two dozen others and damaged or destroyed more than 100 homes across the three communities. Dozens of miles of road were ripped up as crews rushed to replace more than 43 miles of affected pipeline following the blasts. Thousands of customers were left without natural gas service, including heat and hot water, during the winter months.

On September 13, 2018, excessive pressure in natural gas lines owned by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts caused a series of explosions and fires to occur in as many as 40 homes, with over 80 individual fires, in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts towns of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover.