A Massachusetts judge approved a $143 million class action settlement Thursday for residents and business owners affected by natural gas explosions in Massachusetts in 2018. The settlement’s approval comes days after Columbia Gas of Massachusetts pleaded guilty to causing the explosions that killed one person, injured dozens of others, and damaged or destroyed more than 100 buildings. “This community suffered…

Coumbia gas will go to court later today.

Columbia Gas, the utility behind the deadly 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions, will pay a $53 million fine and be sold by its parent company, NiSource, after agreeing to plead guilty in connection with the disaster, authorities announced Wednesday. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a press conference that Columbia Gas had agreed to plead guilty to felony violation of…

A 42-year Columbia Gas employee said his bosses ignored repeated warning about potential safety issues. But not federal investigators, who used the retired utility worker’s testimony to help build their criminal case. On Wednesday, Bart Maderios reacted to the federal criminal charges against his former employer. “I cried for days. It devastated me for months,” Maderios said of the...

Columbia Gas will pay a $53 million criminal fine for breaking a federal pipeline safety law and plead guilty to causing a series of natural gas explosions in Massachusetts that killed one person and damaged dozens of homes, federal officials announced Wednesday.

Columbia Gas, the utility behind the deadly 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions, will pay a $53 million fine and be sold by its parent company, NiSource.

Repairs have been completed in Lawrence, Massachusetts after yet another gas leak was detected in the Merrimack Valley town on Wednesday. Fire Chief Brian Moriarty said it is bothersome that there is yet another gas leak in the Merrimack Valley, but officials believe this one near the intersection of Haverhill and Ames streets is weather related. “What we believe has…

Columbia Gas just finished work on another gas leak in the Merrimack Valley.

Service was restored Monday night after a gas leak prompted homes to be evacuated in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Crews worked through the constant rain after the leak around 12:30 p.m.

A gas leak prompted the evacuation of an area of Methuen, Massachusetts, on Friday afternoon, according to police. The gas leak was reported at 135 Broadway St., police tweeted. As a precaution, authorities evacuated the building and surrounding buildings and had asked motorists to avoid the area.

Massachusetts officials are opening their own investigation into last September’s Merrimack Valley natural gas disaster. More than 100 structures were damaged in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover in the Sept. 13, 2018, fires and explosions. One person died and dozens were injured.

The NTSB went to Lawrence to discuss what went wrong during the Merrimack Valley gas explosions.

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on last year’s deadly Merrimack Valley gas explosions....
The 73-page report says the probable cause of the overpressurization that led to the gas explosions on Sept. 13, 2018 was Columbia Gas’ “weak engineering management that did not adequately plan, review, sequence, and oversee the construction project that led to the abandonment...

The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board will head to the Merrimack Valley to discuss the agency’s final report on last year’s deadly gas explosions.

A judge has given preliminary approval to a $143 million settlement in a lawsuit brought against the utility blamed for a series of gas explosions in Massachusetts in September 2018. Superior Court Judge James Lang wrote in the approval released Friday that the settlement “appears to be fair, reasonable, adequate and sufficient.”

Worcester Police say they have someone in mind they want to question, 36-year-old Thomas Bergstrom.

Massachusetts officials are taking action against Columbia Gas following last week’s gas leak in Lawrence. The Department of Public Utilities issued a moratorium against the company Thursday, requiring it to get state approval before doing any non-emergency work.

Columbia Gas has been ordered to stop doing non-emergency work without approval from the DPU.