List of Complaints sent to DPU

12012-4 ONLY

9/19/2018

1. June 28 , 2018 Amesbury, MA: Pictures of National grid replacement workers filling in emergency
valves with sand.
2. h sand. June 28,2018 Video Evidence that a 3rd party Contractor has been excavating within 200
feet of a National Grid High Pressure Regulator Pit; without a National grid Inspector onsite. The
site is at Highland St and Thorndike St in Lowell, MA.
3. June 29,2018 Video Evidence (Again) that a 3rd party Contractor has been excavating within 200
feet of a National Grid High Pressure Regulator Pit; without a National grid Inspector onsite. The
site is at Highland St and Thorndike St in Lowell , MA.
4. June 30,2018 Charles St Malden, MA : Picture of what appears to be purging equipment that has
not been sufficiently inserted into the bar hole. This device is used to vent a subsurface that
contains Natural Gas. We have had multiple reports that this leak is a grade one leak and has
been left unattended several times.
5. June 30,2018 Medford St and Commercial St Malden, MA :Pictures and Video of tent like
structure over a gas excavation. We have never witnessed this type of structure used prior to the
Lockout. The tent could trap venting gas from the excavation.
6. July 1, 2018 Medford Street and Commercial Street Malden, MA: Video link shows an overloaded
dump truck at a National Grid Gas excavation .
7. July 1,2018 150 Charles St. Malden, MA : Picture appears to show that National Grid
Replacement workers drilled a bar test hole directly over the markings of a 24" gas main. drilling
is required to be done laterally from the main to avoid puncturing the main.
8. July 2, 2018 Medford Street and Commercial Street Malden,MA : Video appears to show
National Grid replacement workers operating in a deep excavation without the proper
reinforced shoring.
9. July 3, 2018 Highland St and Thorndike St. Lowell, MA : Video of a 3rd party contractor
excavating within 200 feet of a Gas Regulator Pit without a National grid representative
onsite. This is the third time we have recorded excavating activity at this site and reported
it since June 28,2018.
10. July 3, 2018 170 Medford Street Malden, MA :(National Grid Property) National Grid
installed an access gate to the property at 170 Medford Street Malden ,MA.( the access
gate is actually located at the end of Wyllis Ave. Everett, MA ) We have been told that
there is a Kinder Morgan 750-900 pound Gas Transmission Line 3 feet deep, directly in
front of the access gate. We have been told that no permits were applied for prior to the
installation of the access gate. We were also told that in order to drive heavy vehicles over
the Kinder Morgan Transmission line an Engineering study should be completed and
what's called an air bridge should be installed to protect against external pressure ;we do
not believe an Air Bridge has been installed. We have been told that National Grid
 vehicles have already driven over the Kinder Morgan Transmission line to access the
Property and that the City of Everett Fire Officials have been notified.
11. July 6, 2018 Bridge St and Arlington St Dracut, MA : sent 4 emails showing video which
appears to show National Grid replacement workers leaving a Gas Regulator Pit
unattended while an excavation is in progress within 200 feet.
12. July 7, 2018 ( Sent the following to DPU) :On July 5,2018 I called the Eastern Regional
office of PHMSA and was told that a Director would be contacting me. No one from
PHMSA has responded. Can you please contact PHMSA? Attached are 4 pictures of the
entrance to the access gate; two pictures were taken on July 3,2018 following the
installation of the gate and two are pictures from Google Earth prior to Installation.
Apparently the line is not beneath the bike path as I first reported but in the grass area
which is shown in the pictures covered with the steel plates. I did verify with the City of
Everett that no permits were filed with the City prior to construction.
13. July 7, 2018 , Reported to DPU that on July 6,2018 Holton St and Cross St ,Winchester
,MA. the National Grid Contractor (USIC) was observed performing a leak survey, sent
DPU copy of newspaper article regarding USIC and penalties the Company received in
2013.
14. July 8, 2018 July 4, 2018 Hilldale Ave. and Bateman St. Haverhill MA: video shows a
tent like structure over a Gas excavation. The Material does not appear to be flame
retardant and the roof of the tent would not allow escaping gas to properly vent.
15. July 10, 2018 :Sent follow up email to previously reported incident to the DPU
containing video on July 6, 2018 of an unattended excavation within 200 feet of a
regulator pit at Bridge St and Arlington St. Dracut MA , the additional video appears to
show that National Grid replacement workers could not open the Regulator Pit doors to
perform the required monitoring and control of the regulator pit while the excavation was
in progress.
16. July 10,2018 Winter St Haverhill MA: Video and Photo show a tent like structure over a
gas excavation this is the third separate instance and location of this activity reported. The
video also appears to show a replacement worker enter the excavation without a fire suit.
17. July 11, 2018 :Picture appears to show a National Grid work truck located at a worksite
while work is in progress; there are no tire chalks, cones or warning signs in use.
18. July 12, 2018 Hilldale AV and Bateman St Haverhill MA : Video appears to show a tent
like structure over an excavation and a replacement worker inside of the excavation with
no breathable air supply and no Davit rescue equipment in use during the operation.
19. July 14,2018 North Ave and Macon St Haverhill MA : Video appears to show a
replacement worker physically inside the casing of Industrial Vacuum Excavating
Equipment while the Equipment is in operation.
20. July 12, 2018 ,20 Angle St Lowell MA : Leak investigation from member , we have a
number of concerns about this incedent:

 None of the replacement workers investigating the gas odor are from the Lowell or Massachusetts area
service territory; in fact the USIC contractor stated " I don't know your gas system".
 Bar Holes only 5"-10" deep
 The replacement workers did not perform an inside area check ( as required regardless of the leak
classification)
 The replacement workers stated that they were forced to perform work on the Lowell gas system.
 The replacement workers may not have been wearing FR clothing
 21. July 16,2018 ,102 Cambridge St Charlestown MA : Video appears to show National Grid
replacement worker operating a gasoline powered chainsaw within an excavation where
gas is leaking . A gasoline powered chainsaw could ignite escaping gas and we believe the
use of this type of equipment under gas leaking conditions is a violation of the Company's
operations manual.
22. July 16 ,2018 Regulator Station at Wilbur St Lowell ,MA : The video appears to show
replacement workers at the Wilbur St Lowell regulator station venting gas into the
atmosphere without taking preventive safety precautions which could lead to an
unintentional gas ignition leaving the workers unprotected; it appears that:

 There is no aluminum vent stack installed.

 There is no grounding cable attached.
 There is no fire extinguisher on site.
 We believe that these issues would all be violations of the Company's operations manual.

23. July 19, 2018 North Av Haverhill MA :Video shows a replacement worker not wearing a
fire suit in a gas excavation.

24. July 20,2018 Woburn St and Greenwood Av Lowell, MA : Video appears to show a third
party contractor excavating within 200 feet of a high pressure regulator pit and directly over the
gas main without a National Grid Inspector onsite. This is the third separate location where this
type of activity has been observed.

25. July 19, 2018, 755 Main St. Malden MA : The attached video link shows a number of
serious concerns about what took place at this location. We believe the gas service line was
miss marked by USIC ( 3rd party excavator "Tufts Construction" hit service line)

 The attached video appears to show National Grid replacement workers allowing the 3rd
party excavation workers ("Tufts Construction") to perform work (Hand digging/
Mechanical digging) while the hit gas service line is releasing gas.
 The attached video appears to show National Grid Replacement workers allowing the
3rd party excavation workers to work in the excavation without wearing any PPE and
work in the excavation while the mechanical digging is taking place

26. July 24,2018 81 Shawmut St Chelsea MA : Video appears to show National Grid
replacement workers clearing out an old gas service with compressed air. It appears that the
compressed air and debris from inside of the service was vented into the atmosphere without
any type of filtering device.

27. July 23, 2018 Highland Ave and Thorndike St. Lowell, MA : Video appears to show a third
party excavator operating excavation equipment adjacent to a high pressure coated steel gas
main without the National Grid Replacement worker observing the activity ;damage to the
coated line and repairs were observed. We have a number of concerns about what took place at
this job site: The National Grid replacement workers are not monitoring the excavation.
  We believe there is a regulator pit within 200 feet of this excavation.
 The observers who took the video stated that the coating on the gas main was damaged
and had to be repaired.
 We believe that the National Grid replacement workers should have instructed the
excavator to hand dig around the gas main.
 The observers stated that the replacement workers who performed the repairs did not
cut away the damaged coating before they applied the new coating.
 The observers stated that the replacement workers left the scene and had to be called
back to make a second repair to the coating that went unnoticed during the first visit.
 The observers stated that they did not see the replacement workers take any bar hole
CGI readings in the vicinity of the excavation.

28. July 25-July 27 Congress Av and Shawmut St , Chelsea ,MA : We have numerous concerns
about the condition of a National Grid Job site at this location; this is a densely populated area:

 As of July 25 It appears that the area has not been pre-marked or marked by 3rd party
utilities.
 We believe the job site is not being maintained properly ( Not enough detour signs ,
work site area is not identified properly ,no fire extinguishers, debris scattered
throughout the job site )
 We are not being allowed near the active worksite to observe activity.

29. July 25-July 27 :Shawmut St and Congress Av Chelsea, MA : Photo on July 25-July 27. We
believe this excavation was left plated overnight possibly leaving this main exposed to structural
trench collapse.

30. July 29, 2018 Merrimac St Lowell , MA : The video appears to show a National Grid
replacement worker crew operating gas purging equipment incorrectly ( the equipment when
used correctly vents gas from a manhole, the crew appears to have it backwards forcing the gas
back into the manhole system). We believe this could have been an extremely serious error,
fortunately an event did not occur.

31. July 30,2018 July 30, 2018: 32 Almont St Malden, MA : Photo appears to show an
improperly installed cast iron joint seal. The pipe is not cleaned/sandblasted properly. The black
encapsulate should not be outside of the boot wrap. Straps not in proper position.

32. August 2,2018:Lebanon St Melrose, MA: The attached picture appears to show a 3rd party
excavation taking place within 200 feet of a high pressure Regulator pit without a National Grid
Representative onsite.

33. August 2 , 2018 : Medford St Malden , MA : The attached video appears to show
replacement workers bar hole drilling in close vicinity of a high pressure Kinder Morgan
Transmission line prior to the line being marked by Kinder Morgan (it appeared that a hole was
drilled 18" from the center line of the transmission Line).

34. August 5,2018: Hopkins St and Fairmont Rd Reading ,MA: The attached video appears to
show evidence of a Gas facilities Mark-out performed by a replacement worker (we believe the
Mark-out/Locate was performed by the contractor USIC). We have a number of concerns about
the Mark-out that was conducted and the location marks:

 The words " By Print" are painted in yellow on Hopkins St. ( were the gas facilities
marked using a print only?) We believe we are required to utilize all methods to locate
and mark gas facilities.
 A number of Gas services to the homes appear not to have been marked.
 A number of Gas gate valves appear not to have been marked.
 We believe the Gas Main marks are off by over 10 feet.

35. August 8 ,2018 :Treble Cove Rd ,Billerica, MA : The attached video and photos appear to
show a replacement worker in an excavation with no breathable air supply while blowing gas is
present and a tent made of flammable material is over the excavation.

36. August 8, 2018 Treble Cove Road Billerica , MA : The attached photographs appear to show
a National Grid replacement worker with facial hair beginning to utilize breathable air equipment.

37. August 14,2018 Winslow St Everett , MA: The attached photographs appear to show a
replacement worker mark-out that contains information about pipe depth and length. We believe
that in Massachusetts Mark-out markings should not contain this information. I have been told
that we do not include depth information because of the hand digging requirement within the
tolerance zone ; when depth information is included it could possibly give a 3rd party excavator
a false sense of how close the mechanical digging equipment is to the gas line; which may in
turn lead to the digging equipment operator utilizing the mechanical equipment in place of hand
digging.

38. August 15,2018 , Lindenwood Road Stoneham , MA: Back fill and Restoration CNST01003
The attached video appears to show a replacement worker crew back filling an excavation with
wet fill. Back filling an excavation with wet fill could leave the paved road unsettled.

39. August 15 ,2018 , Vine Street Everett, MA: The attached photograph appears to show that a
replacement worker drilled a bar test hole over a marked out gas line and a marked out electric
or communications line.

40. August 18, 2018, Paris Street Everett , MA: The attached photograph appears to show a
recently asphalt patched gas line installation without the new gas line service markings.

41. August 18,2018 , 36 Stuart Street Everett, MA: The attached video appears to show
National Grid replacement workers pressure testing a roll of plastic gas pipeline (more than 12
feet long) above ground.

42. August 20, 2018, Orchard Street, Haverhill ,MA: The attached video appears to show a
National Grid Replacement Worker using an outside testing probe in place of an inside testing
probe during an inside leak investigation.

43. August 22,2018 , Harvard St and Main Street Medford, MA: The attached video appears to
show a National grid replacement crew operating a critical valve without monitoring pressures
inside of the nearby high pressure regulator pit . The crew is also not marking the number of
turns of the critical valve.

44. August 24, 2018 , 162 Clark Street Medford, MA: The attached video appears to show a
National Grid Contractor USIC utilizing the incorrect leak detection probe while performing an
outside gas leak investigation.( The probe should have a funnel at the inflow section)

45. August 28, 2018 , 49 Billerica Ave, Billerica , MA: The attached photographs are of what we
believe was a miss-marked gas service ( the service was miss-marked by almost 8 feet ,the
yellow flag is located to the far right in the photo) by a National Grid Replacement worker. The
miss-mark appears to have resulted with a hit gas line by a third party contractor ( Ruggierios) at
about 8:30a.m. on 8/28. The excavation contractor stated to our observer that its the 1st service
they have hit in years because the person who normally marks out the lines is always accurate.
The gas service was a high pressure line and the Fire Department arrived on the scene. The
National grid repair crew was made up of 7-9 replacement workers ( This type of repair would
normally be performed by 2 Technicians). The statement below is from the observer who took
the photographs: This is 49 Billerica Ave in Billerica 8/28/18. A contractor was installing a new water
service. Only gas mark on property or whole street for that matter was the yellow flag, and it was off by
6-8 feet. The other circle is the pulled up gas service. We spoke to the woman across the street and she
was home the whole time, and no one ever checked her house for gas reads after the service was pulled.

46. August 28, 2018, Clifton St and Summer St Malden, MA: The attached video appears to
show two National Grid replacement workers bar hole drilling directly over a marked gas main.
It also appears that someone informs the two replacement workers to move the location of the
bar hole drilling. Drilling directly over a gas main could result in a punctured gas line and an
unintentional release of gas and/or gas ignition.
The Union has observed and made previous complaints to the DPU about this type of
dangerous activity:

 July 2,2018 150 Charles Street Malden, MA

 August 2,2018 Medford Street Malden, MA
 August 15,2018 Vine Street Everett, MA

47. August 22, 2018 , 16 Clark Street Medford, MA: The attached video is additional footage
of two USIC National Grid replacement workers performing an outside gas leak investigation
with the incorrect leak detection equipment. The gas leak they are investigating in this video was
taken on 8/22 and the gas leak was later determined to be a grade 1 gas leak on 8/29.

We have serious concerns about USIC contracting Company operating in Massachusetts and
have expressed these concerns in previous complaints to the DPU (USIC is new to our service
territory) :

 July 7, 2018 ,Holton Street and Cross Street Winchester, MA

 July 12, 2018 , 20 Angle Street Lowell, MA
  July 19,2018 755 Main Street Malden, MA
 August 5, 2018 Hopkins Street and Fairmont Road Reading, MA
 August 14,2018 Winslow street Everett, MA

48. August 28,2018 , 16 Clark Street Medford, MA: The attached video appears to show a USIC
National Grid replacement worker failing to test for gas inside of a manhole during an outside
street gas leak investigation. There was a Grade 1 leak identified at this location on 8/29. The
Union has serious concerns about USIC contracting Company operating in Massachusetts (
USIC is new to our service territory). The Union has filed a number of complaints concerning
unsafe activity with USIC employees including the attached News Article about the Company.

49. Attached is a timeline and three videos concerning a Grade 1 Gas Leak that was located at
12/16 Clark Street Medford , MA on August 29, 2018 and the events that preceded the
identification of the Grade 1 Gas Leak. The timeline includes three days from August 22 to
August 29. The Union has serious concerns about how National Grid Contracting Company
USIC is operating in the State of Massachusetts. USIC is new to our service territory which is
made up of over 50 cities and Towns . The Union has expressed these concerns in previous
complaints to the DPU Including a news article about USIC ( The News article is also attached
in this email) :

 July 7, 2018 ,Holton Street and Cross Street Winchester, MA

 July 12, 2018 , 20 Angle Street Lowell, MA
 July 19,2018 755 Main Street Malden, MA
 August 5, 2018 Hopkins Street and Fairmont Road Reading, MA
 August 14,2018 Winslow Street Everett, MA

50. August 31,2018 , Pine Street Lowell , MA: The attached video appears to show a National
Grid replacement worker ringing a door bell during a gas leak investigation.

51. August 31,2018 , Father Morissette Blvd Lowell , MA : The attached video appears to show
a 3rd party Contractor boring excavation holes within 200 feet of a high pressure regulator pit
without a National Grid Inspector onsite.

52. September 5, 2018 Mammoth Rd Dracut , MA: The attached video appears to show a High
Pressure blowing gas leak occurring while work was being performed by National Grid
replacement workers. We have a number of serious concerns about the activity that was
observed and recorded at this worksite on September 5,2018:.

 The blowing gas leak appeared to have occurred while a replacement worker was in the
excavation.
 The replacement worker was observed hastily exiting the excavation after the high
pressure gas leak occurred.
 None of the replacement workers were observed using a CGI tester or entering any of
the adjacent houses to check inside for gas readings.
  A dump truck is parked adjacent to the excavation ( We have questions about weather
the Height of the dump truck should be added to the total depth of the excavation;
requiring shoring).
 The dump truck parked next to the excavation could have potentially ignited the blowing
gas and or could have been consumed in a fire if the blowing gas had been ignited by
another source.
 The replacement worker who entered the excavation while the gas leak was blowing had
a beard when he was wearing the breathable air supply.

53. September 11, 2018 , Forest Street Medford , MA: The attached video appears to show a
National Grid Replacement Excavator back filling an excavation with large pieces of asphalt.

54. September 19, 2018 Woburn Street and Greenwood Street Lowell ,MA: The attached video
appears to show a third party excavation taking place within 200 feet of a high pressure
regulator pit without a National Grid representative on-site. The Union has reported similar
instances of this type of activity to the DPU numerous times since June 25,2018. We have
serious concerns about this lack of over-site by National Grid ; the Union believes that not
having a qualified , trained National Grid Representative present during this type of activity
could result in High Pressure Regulator sensing Lines being damaged and potentially leading to
a malfunctioning Regulator and possibly an over-pressurization similar to the recent tragedy in
the Merrimack Valley.

We have also sent concerns regarding replacement workers from New York operating in
MA.