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LAWRENCE, Mass. — The utility behind the September natural gas explosions in Massachusetts says work to restore heat and hot water to thousands of residents in three communities will continue on Thanksgiving.
Yesterday, Mayor @danrivera01843 called on @ColumbiaGasMA and its recovery team "to reconsider taking Thanksgiving Day off, and any days in and around that date, and to use those days as full work days."@boston25 pic.twitter.com/LFi949R6Ni
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
Mayor @danrivera01843: "If we are truly in this together, everyone should work that day. Even if only a hundred meters get lit that day, that is that many more families that will be home with heat and hot water."#merrimackvalley@boston25
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
Back in October, @Boston25 asked @ColumbiaGasMA Executive Vice President and Chief Restoration Officer Pablo Vegas if he or anyone from Columbia will be cancelling holiday plans to make sure they're in the #MerrimackValley "to make sure this gets done?”
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
Columbia Gas spokesman Dean Lieberman confirmed Thursday the utility will have "some" contractor crews working next Thursday, though he declined to say how many.
The company had planned to give workers the day off, but Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera on Wednesday urged them to press on.
The response from Pablo Vegas of @ColumbiaGasMA:
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
“Yes, there are going to be Columbia Gas and NiSource resources here throughout the entire project. We are here 7 days a week until this is completely done.”#MerrimackValley @boston25 pic.twitter.com/OW6bvn7DEO
At the time, @ColumbiaGasMA was announcing that gas restoration efforts in the #MerrimackValley would last into December - taking longer than previously stated.@boston25 pic.twitter.com/8aJprdsa0u
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
Yesterday - @ColumbiaGasMA indicated there would be no work Thanksgiving:
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
"We have thousands of workers working daily in homes to restore gas service. To allow them & our customers to celebrate Thanksgiving they are not working on Thanksgiving but will be back to work on Friday"
Now, Mayor @danrivera01843 says @ColumbiaGasMA will have crews working on Thanksgiving Day in the #MerrimackValley. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/65J2kSHTw9
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
.@Boston25 is working to get a further explanation from @ColumbiaGasMA about exactly what those crews will be doing, and if crews will be going into homes to re-light them so more people will have their heat and hot water on Thanksgiving.#MerrimackValley
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) November 15, 2018
Columbia Gas says 52 percent of the 7,500 residential gas meters affected and 70 percent of the 685 affected business meters have been restored as of Thursday. The work should be complete by mid-December.
The Sept. 13 explosions killed one person, injured dozens of others and damaged more than 100 homes in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover.
Associated Press
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