Complaint Pins Loss Of Somerville Trees On Utility Company

SOMERVILLE, MA — Nearly 250 residents, officials and community groups have filed a complaint with Attorney General Maura Healey's office and the Department of Public Utilities regarding gas leaks on Somerville Avenue.

The complaint claims Eversource's inaction to curb the leaks resulted in the deaths of city-planted trees between Porter Square and Wilson Square.

"The lack of tree canopy cover along Somerville Ave is an environmental justice and public health risk," said Cate Mingoya, who submitted the complaint. "Somerville just hit its 15th day above 90 degrees, and it's not even the end of July - if we're going to weather the climate crisis, we need to support the City of Somerville in reaching its shade-equity goals. I’m a resident, a mom, I walk my kid to daycare along that stretch, and it's just miserable."

The complaint asks the agencies to require Eversource to fix the leaks and reimburse the city for the lost trees. It was signed by Mayor Joseph Curtatone, the City Council, state Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, the Climate Coalition of Somerville, Green and Open Somerville, Groundwork Somerville, Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets, Boston Cyclist Union, Somerville Urban Forestry Committee and Mothers Out Front Somerville and Cambridge.

A spokesperson for Eversource said the company has completed several repairs on Somerville Avenue over the last year and will continue to address concerns in that area.

"We focus every day on and take very seriously our role to provide safe, reliable service to our customers while being responsible environmental stewards," he wrote in an emailed statement. "We’ve been in regular contact with city officials and residents, as well as our regulators, about our work to maintain a safe natural gas distribution system and to repair or replace aging infrastructure that can cause leaks."

Complainants said readings taken June 4 showed methane levels at 15-90 percent across 10 discrete leaks under the sidewalk on Somerville Avenue. All trees along that half-mile stretch are "dead or showing signs of extreme distress," due to the methane asphyxiating their roots, the complaint alleges.

These issues were raised with Eversource at a Public Utilities and Public Works Committee meeting last December but were not addressed, the complaint continues.

"I suspect that gas leaks have killed a lot of trees in the city," Randi Soltysiak, of Mothers Out Front Somerville, said in a statement. "We worked on the same situation on Pearl Street. We were successful in getting the utility to repair the pipes, but it was only after much citizen advocacy and so many very mature trees had already been lost. The utilities need to do better than to keep letting gas leaks destroy trees."

Residents are concerned about the street's proximity to a Commuter Rail line, which contributes to diesel exhaust in the area; fugitive methane contributing to climate change; the lack of shade in the area for pedestrians and cyclists; and taxpayers bearing the costs of the leaks and dead trees, according to the complaint.

Eversource said it is committed to an open dialogue with local and state officials as it continues the "important work to safely and reliably serve our customers while maintaining environmental responsibility,"