State Of Emergency Ends For 2018 Gas Explosions: Patch PM

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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker lifted the state of emergency Tuesday that he declared on Sept. 14, 2018, the day a gas utility's error set off more than 130 explosions in Andover, North Andover in Lawrence that killed one and forced thousands of people to leave their homes for months.

The 718-day state of emergency let the state Department of Public Utilities take steps to ensure public safety and restore gas, electric and water services to the three communities. "The termination of the State of Emergency is an important milestone in the Commonwealth's recovery from the tragic gas incident in the Merrimack Valley," DPU Chairman Matthew Nelson said Tuesday.

A National Transportation Safety Board review of the explosions placed fault on Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, which has since been forced to sell its holdings in Massachusetts. The report said Columbia Gas waited 26 minutes to shut down a gas regulator after an alarm sounded in its Columbus, OH operations center.

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