Berkshire Gas Company Gas Leak Incident 1987 frok
BOARD OF HEALTH
JOHN T.JOYCE.Chalzm®
PETER C.KENNY M.D.
MICHAEL A PARSONS
PETER 1.MARLAIN.Health Agent
CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
MASSACHUSETTS 01060
OFFICE OF THE
BOARD OF HEALTH
August 31, 1987
Dave Holland, Regional Director
DEQE, Air Quality Section 436 Dwight Street
Springfield, MA 01103
Dear Mr. Holland:
a
Re: Hazardous Material Release
210 MAIN STREET
01060
(4121596.6950 Ext.212
This letter will serve as a report on an accidental. release of natural gas
at 7:42 p.m. , Thursday, August 27, 1987 at the Berkshire Gas Company's relay
pumping station on North King Street, Northampton.
The Board of Health has been informed by Berkshire Gas Co. Spokesman Donald
Graves that the release resulted from a computer malfunction which triggered
the operation of the pressure augmentation pump which increased the gas pressure
and tripped the pressure relief valve.
As is indicated in the attached Fire Department Report, the release was ended by
a Gas Company employee who shut the pump off. Strong gas fumes were detected
over one quarter mile downwind of the pumping station.
This incident is the second accidental release of natural gas at the North King
Street Pumping Station. In December 1986, a frozen valve caused a smaller "blowoff"
of natural gas
If you require additional information concerning this incident, please contact the
Board of Health Office.
Very truly yours,l
Peter J. McErlain
Health Agent
PJMc:mr
cc: David Weber, Safety Engineer
Mass Dept. Public Utilities
man, Jeff St Pierre9 ..arrivel and entered
fenced off area and went into pumping
station building. He electrically shut
off relief valves which silenced noise
and stopped gas from escaping. Berkshir
Gas personel..did not no why valve tripper
but assured us that conditions were safe.
They said they would not use pumping
station until engineers okayed system.
We notified people in Laurel Park that
it was okay to return to their houses.
We had reports of people smelling the
gas odor as far away as Caldors. The
Rockridge Retirement Home called and saic
they/hal a smell of gas in their lobby.
We stopped on the way back to Headquater;
to assure them that the smell should not
be a problem.
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090101Il 'uoIdwetnioN "IS 3U05010 09 1N3VVItlYd30 31114 NOUHYNTON
Noe ‘ist
August 30, 1987
109 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA
Peter McErlain
Board of Health
Northampton, MA
Dear Mr. McErlain,
Laurel Park residents are disturbed by the gas leak that forced a number of us
to evacuate our houses last Thursday night.
Before this facility was built, we were assured by Berkshire Gas representatives
that it would be absolutely safe.
The first gas leak occurred last December. Berkshire Gas public relations
representatives told us that the gas leak was not hazardous, although traffic
on routes 91 and 5&10 was barred from the area.
Eight months later, despite all of these assurances of our safety, gas fumes
once again spread over our neighborhood, roads were closed, and people evacuated
from their homes.
We urge you to treat this matter as seriously as we do. We need your help in
working with Berkshire Gas Company. We need to know if this facility is a
hazard, and what can be done to truly ensure our safety.
I look forward to hearing from you on this matter.
Sincerely,
Nancy Schroeder
President, Homeowners at Laurel Park
U
NO(THAMPfON BOARD OF HEALTH
SEP 2198T EtU
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S.•
JEREMIAH P.DRISCOLL
CHIEF
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Northampton, eglt xssac1pxSPtt5
01000
FIRE DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS
OFFICE OF CHIEF
60 MASONIC STREET
T.I.p&on. 5847I63
MEMO:
TO: Mayor David B. Musante, Jr.
FROM: Chief Jeremiah P. Driscoll / - " f
DATE: September 11, 19877
RE: Berkshire Gas
I have received your memo and the copy of the letter from Nancy
Schroeder concerning the natural gas release of August 27, 1987. 1 had
already taken action, in conjunction with Peter McErlain of the Board of
Health. He called the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality
Engineers and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities who have
jurisdiction over that type of installation. This was done on the day
following the incident. Peter sent copies of his report and the Fire
Department report to both of these agencies. Both assured Peter that they
would conduct an investigation of the incident. When we get a report from
either or both of these agencies I will forward a copy to your office.
JPD/kl
cc: Peter McErlain
FIRE PREVENTION PAYS
S. RUSSELL SVLVA
Commissioner
JOHN J. HIGGINS
gionaI Enviranmentai Engineer
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13J 785-5327
Berkshire Gas Company
P.D. Box 1328
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Attn: Don Atwater
OCT 031987
Re: Northhampton - ERB-W87-556
Release of Natural Gas at Laurel Park
M.G.L. ch. 21E
NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOTICE. FAILURE TO TAKE ADEQUATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO
THIS NOTICE COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.
Gentlemen:
Department personnel have observed that on August 27, 1987, activity
occurred at the Berkshire Gas Pumping Station in Laurel Park, Northampton,
MA. in noncompliance with one or more laws, regulations, orders, licenses,
permits or approvals enforced by the Department.
Attached hereto is a written description of ( 1) each activity referred to
above, (2) the requirements violated, (3) the action the Department now
wants you to take, and (4) the deadline for taking such action.
If you fail to take any action the Department now wants you to take by the
prescribed deadline, or if you otherwise fail to comply in the future with
requirements applicable to you, you could be subject to legal action. Such
action could include criminal prosecution, court-imposed civil penalties, or
civil administrative penalties assessed by the Department. A civil admini-
strative penalty may be assessed for every day from new on that you are in
noncompliance with the requirements referred to above.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact Dave Siowick of
this office at 785-5327.
Very�tryly Hours,
eyl F. loyc
Deputy Regional E ronmental Engineer
Air, Solid & Hazardous Materials
Western Region
DS:bmz
RCRA7:berk
Certified Mail P288198485, return receipt requested
cc: Northampton Fire Department
Northampton Board of Health
a NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE
NONCOMPLIANCE SUMMARY
NAME OF ENTITY IN NONCOMPLIANCE: Berkshire Gas Company
LOCATION WHERE NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURRED OR WAS OBSERVED:
Laurel Park, Northampton, MA
DATE WHEN NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURRED OR WAS OBSERVED:
August 27, 1987
DESCRIPTION OF NONCOMPLIANCE AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE REQUIREMENTS NOT
COMPLIED WITH:
The Department has determined that you, under the provisions of M.G.L.
ch. 21E, section 5(a) , are responsible for the occurrence of a release of
gas at the above mentioned location. Further Berkshire Gas failed to
immediately notify the Department of this incident.
Your failure to notify the Department of said release constitutes a
violation of section 7 of H.G.L. ch. 21E which states.
any owner or operator of a site or vessel, and any person otherwise
described in paragraph (a) of section 5, as soon as he has knowledge of a
release or a threat of release of oil or hazardous material, shall
immediately notify the Department thereof..."
ACTION TO BE TAKEN, AND THE DEADLINE FOR TAKING SUCH ACTION:
You are requested to inform the Department in writing, by October 16,
1987 as to the reason why Berkshire Gas Ca. failed to immediately notify
the Department of said release and the steps in which Berkshire Gas will
take to prevent this violation from occurring in the future.
DATE: BY:'LOOT C) 3 1987 1/ ,7/7
S Eephe7 Joyce
Deputy Regional Envirjonmental Engineer
Air, Solid & Hazardous Materials
Western Region