I’m grateful that the Newton Citizens Commission on Energy has issued this letter strongly supporting the call by Council President Albright and Public Facilities Chair Leary, for a #DPUInvestigation of the #WalnutStreetGasExplosions

https://www.newtonma.gov/government/climate-and-sustainability/citizens-commission-on-energy

Until today there has been no official acknowledgment by the #CityOfNewtonMA that the gas company, #NationalGrid, and it’s leaking pipes in close proximity to underground high voltage #Eversource electric infrastructure, could have any causal relationship to the #WalnutStreetGasExplosions

For the first time, a #CityOfNewtonMA official disclosed this evening that the City has been “in close touch” with #NationalGrid regarding the #WalnutStreetGasExplosions. This is a highly significant disclosure and development.

Map of 13.8 kV underground Eversource cables. Black line indicates connectivity across 2.3 miles between the 3 locations initially implicated by #Eversource in the #WalnutStreetGasExplosions
https://eversource.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7b13d31f908243e49406f198b359aa71

Places initially said (then retracted w/out explanation) by #Eversource to be part of the causal chain associated w 4/6/23 #WalnutStreetGasExplosions:

Top: 79 Walnut St., next to Newton Education Ctr.
2.3 miles from 2023 explosion site.

Middle: 374 Homer St., location of 2022 injury explosion, coinciding with a documented live superemitter gas leak, and found to be grade 1 explosive yesterday.
0.8 miles from ‘23 explosion site.

Bottom: Walnut St. x Lakewood Rd., site of explosions of 4/6/23.

The April 6, 2023 #WalnutStreetGasExplosions, disturbing as they were, have uncovered an even more disturbing finding: on a cross street of Walnut Street, at 374 Homer Street, where an Eversource Electric Station is located (a station of interest because Eversource initially implicated it in the 4-6-23 explosions), public records show there was a live, unrepaired National Grid gas leak, existing at the time and address of an injury explosion that occurred at that same address on June 20, 2022.