Lawsuit Targets Massachusetts Utility Over Deadly Gas Explosions

A resident of a Massachusetts city rocked by last week’s deadly gas blasts that damaged dozens of homes sued utility operator NiSource Inc on Tuesday, accusing it of inadequately maintaining its distribution system. The proposed class action lawsuit targets NiSource and its subsidiary Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, which services Andover, North Andover and Lawrence, three communities northwest of Boston that staged large-scale evacuations following the Thursday afternoon blasts that killed one person and injured at least 25. The lawsuit in Essex County Superior Court is the first to be filed after Thursday’s explosions. It claims the gas pipeline system used by Columbia Gas to service those communities was “poorly maintained, antiquated, obsolete, and highly dangerous.”