That the City Council go on record requesting Governor Baker to properly staff Department of Public Utilities inspectors to ensure the safety of Cambridge residents

City of Cambridge O-13 IN CITY COUNCIL November 19, 2018 COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN MAYOR MCGOVERN VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX COUNCILLOR MALLON WHEREAS: A series of incidents and reported violations including the September 2018 tragedy in Merrimack Valley have raised significant concerns about both the safety of aging methane gas infrastructure in The Commonwealth and the companies charged with maintaining it; and WHEREAS: A report released by the National Transit Safety Board found that the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) had only a fraction of its inspector positions filled in the weeks leading up to the Merrimack Valley tragedy; and WHEREAS: DPU Inspectors play a critically important role in ensuring the safety of every resident of the Commonwealth; and WHEREAS: Data from DPU indicates that there were 15,829 unrepaired gas pipeline leaks across the Commonwealth in 2017, including 262 unrepaired leaks in Cambridge; now therefore be it RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record requesting Governor Baker to properly staff DPU inspectors to ensure our safety; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to Governor Baker as well as Angela M. O’Connor, Chairman of the Department of Public Utilities, on behalf of the entire City Council.