Boston, MA – Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) have received a commitment from the leadership on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to hold a hearing in Merrimack Valley on the September 13 Columbia Gas explosions and fires that killed one, injured dozens, and displaced more than 8,000 residents from their homes. Senator Markey is a member of the Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over both the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), which regulates natural gas transmission and distribution lines, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates pipeline accidents. The hearing will be held in a location to be determined in the coming weeks.

 

In the wake of the explosions and fires, Senators Warren and Markey called for a Congressional hearing on the accident and demanded answers from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, its parent company NiSource, and PHMSA to provide answers about the September 13 explosions.