MERRILLVILLE, Ind.,
Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), parent company of Columbia Gas of
Massachusetts, today released the
following statement in response to the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB)'s safety recommendation report regarding the
event of September 13th in the
Merrimack Valley:
We are thoroughly reviewing the safety recommendations issued
today and look forward to discussing them in further detail with
NTSB. We will continue to work with NTSB as it works toward
issuing its final conclusions.
Since the September 13 event,
NiSource has identified, and moved ahead with, new steps to enhance
system safety and reliability and to safeguard against over
pressurization. Some of these measures have already been completed
and others are in process.
Notably, these NiSource-wide safety measures will include
fail-safe measures called for in NTSB's recommendations today: We
have committed to an approximately $150
million program to install over-pressurization protection
devices on all our low-pressure systems. These "slam-shut" devices
– which will be in operation continuously, not only when work is
underway – operate like circuit-breakers, so when they sense
operating pressure that is too high or too low, regardless of the
cause, they immediately shut down gas to the system. The program
will also include installing remote monitoring devices on all
low-pressure systems so that gas control centers have an ability to
monitor pressure at regulator stations in real time, 24/7.
In addition, we already have conducted a field survey of all
regulator stations and initiated an engineering review of those
regulator stations; we are verifying and enhancing our maps and
records of low-pressure regulator stations; and we initiated a
process so that NiSource personnel will be present whenever
excavation work is being done in close proximity to a regulator
station.
NiSource has an obligation to our customers, employees, and
partners to continuously evaluate risk from a systemic
perspective—and our commitment to safety remains steadfast.
About Columbia Gas of Massachusetts
Columbia Gas of
Massachusetts delivers clean, affordable and efficient natural
gas to over 320,000 natural gas customers in
southeastern Massachusetts, the
greater Springfield area and the Merrimack Valley.
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, the company is the largest
gas-only provider in the state and is one
of NiSource's seven regulated utility
companies. NiSource (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest
fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5
million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers
through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. More
information about Columbia Gas of Massachusetts is
available at www.ColumbiaGasMA.com.
About NiSource
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is
one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the
United States, serving
approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000
electric customers across seven states through its
local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Based
in Merrillville, Indiana, NiSource's approximately
8,000 employees are focused on safely delivering reliable and
affordable energy to our customers and communities we
serve. NiSource has been designated a World's Most
Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute since
2012, is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America
Index and was named by Forbes magazine as the
top-rated utility among America's Best Large Employers in 2017.
Additional information about NiSource, its investments in
modern infrastructure and systems, its commitments and its local
brands can be found at www.nisource.com. Follow us
at www.facebook.com/nisource,
www.linkedin.com/company/nisource or www.twitter.com/nisourceinc.
NI-F
View original
content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nisource-statement-in-response-to-ntsb-safety-recommendation-report-300751805.html
SOURCE NiSource Inc.