Underground Construction - May 2019 - 4

EDITOR'S LOG

Robert Carpenter | Editor-in-Chief

Renewing a Community of Cooperation
In the late afternoon of Sept. 13,
2018, for two and a half hours, the
people in the Merrimack Valley area
of Massachusetts (primarily the
towns of Lawrence, Andover and
North Andover) were rocked by a
series of explosions and roughly
80 fires that caused 30,000 people
to flee their homes. Miraculously,
there was only one fatality and 25
minor injuries.
A National Transportation
Safety Board investigation found
that over-pressurized natural
gas lines were the source of the
explosions and fires in this region
north of Boston. It also found
that utility workers contracted by
Columbia Gas failed to account for
critical pressure sensors as they
replaced century-old, cast-iron
pipes. It was essentially basic
human error with deadly results.
But forgotten in all this is the
aftermath and recovery, an amazing
story of a gas industry elevating
itself to heretofore impossible
heights, unheard of cooperation
and above all else, a safety and
damage prevention record unlikely
to be equaled.
Columbia Gas had the unenviable
task of immediately rebuilding 50
miles of gas distribution pipeline
infrastructure that included
restoring services to more than
8,600 homes and businesses,
and 6,100 service lines. Fall had
already arrived by this point and
temperatures were turning cooler
with winter fast approaching.
Homes without heat would soon
become intolerable in the oftenharsh winters of Massachusetts.
Columbia did a masterful job of
putting together a construction/
repair/system restoration plan
to begin in October and finish in
November. It was an ambitious
dream, really, full of hopeful
assumptions more than anything.
Yet it worked.

4

MAY 2019 | UConOnline.com

The call went out to key
contractor partners. Miller Pipeline
rallied 400 workers to the area.
InfraSource, Mears and locals
Feeney Brothers and Bond Brothers
were among several contractors
that brought hundreds of veteran
crews to the emergency rebuild
program, some coming from more
than 1,000 miles away.
Arriving personnel were able to
start work almost immediately with
a minimum of the usual paperwork.
Typical regulatory delays turned
into green lights (within reason)
and political hoops were leapt in
record time. Local, state and federal
regulatory agencies (including
OSHA) cooperated and expedited
procedures. The 63 planned
construction sites went from idle to
full activity in a heartbeat.
Of course, safety and damage
prevention protocols were strictly
employed. But these were reputable
contractors with outstanding
safety records and procedures. They
came to the job site knowing how
to perform their work both safely
and effectively. In fact, despite
the massive amount of manhours
amassed in a short period of time,
there was not one accident or
injury reported. Even bandaids
stayed in the box.
Logistics were artfully organized
and communicated. Contractors
obtained supplies and dumped
materials at strategic sites, using
a steady synchronization that
monitored needs. All was designed
so that work was never delayed,
never stopped and continued
unabated. Emerging from this 50mile job site were new definitions
of efficiency and productivity.
Work was largely completed in just
five weeks.
Initially, hotel rooms around the
area were reserved for the workers
as they rolled in. But many locals
needed a place to stay, as well,

while waiting for the resumption
of service. The solution: contractor
personnel went cruising.
A large cruise ship was procured
and stationed in Boston harbor to
house the thousands of workers,
leaving hotels available for local
citizens. Of course, this meant a long
commute each day through horrific
Boston traffic, but for the workers,
that was just part of the job.
Many politicians came to
inspect the work efforts, and
some couldn't resist the
temptation to renew criticism and
condemnation of the gas industry.
These viewpoints presented
a disconnect from their local
constituents of epic proportions.
The miracle of hard work,
dedication and commitment by the
contractor personnel was not lost
on the local populace. It didn't take
long for the locals to appreciate
everything that construction crews
were doing for them. Leaving their
homes, working long hours, taking
no breaks, staying on a ship-all to
accommodate local citizens.
People sincerely appreciated
everything the gas industry meant
to them and the efforts being
exerted to handle the emergency.
Assorted signs appeared everywhere
around the towns, praising and
thanking the contractors. Food,
snacks, drinks and all kinds of
convenience items were brought to
the contractors in a never-ending
supply train by the locals.
The gas community came together
to serve their customer community
at a time of need. What a great
story to be shared. Let's just hope
the region's many anti-natural gas
politicians will listen and learn from
their constituents for a change. *
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Underground Construction - May 2019

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