Sen. Ed Markey speaks ahead of Senate hearing for Merrimack Valley families

Families affected by the Merrimack Valley gas explosions will be able to testify Monday at a United States Senate committee hearing in Lawrence.

Sen. Ed Markey called for the hearing to expose any wrongdoing by Columbia Gas, and said he hopes it will be a way to make sure a widespread disaster of this nature doesn't happen anywhere again.

"It should be about the victims," Markey said. "It should be about the harm that was done to Lawrence and Andover and North Andover, and it should be about accountability."

Holding Columbia Gas accountable is what Markey hopes will happen at the hearing at the South Lawrence Middle School Monday morning, as state, federal and city leaders will testify on how three towns were devastated by the gas explosions in December.

Among those testifying will be the Rondon family, who lost their son in the explosions.

"The Rondon family is grieving," their attorney said. "They’re tired, they’re hurting, but they’re strong in the name of Leonel Rondon."

Rondon was killed when a house on Chickering Road exploded from the overpressurized gas lines in Lawrence.

He was sitting in a car when the house's chimney crashed down on him.

Monday's hearing will be the first time his family speaks publicly about what happened.

"It is a catastrophe of monumental proportions," the family's attorney said. "There are people suffering and continue to suffer."

Tens of thousands were left without gas and heat for the last couple months following the explosions, and Columbia Gas says, as of Sunday, more than 80 percent of homes have been restored.

"There are still 1,300 families who do not have their service that has been restored and that, in the middle of the winter, is absolutely unacceptable," Markey said.

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Markey said he hopes the hearing Monday will call for federal changes on pipeline safety to prevent the disaster from happening again.

"We want the people in Merrimack Valley to know that all of these parties are gonna be made accountable, and that they’re not gonna be forgotten and that we’re gonna change the rules nationally," Markey said.

The hearing is set for November 26 at 9 a.m.

Cox Media Group