We deserve to know if the Addison County Natural Gas Pipeline is safe. Vermont’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) is reviewing the Certificate of Public Good that allows Vermont Gas Systems (VGS) to operate a gas pipeline in Addison County. This is due to VGS’s failure to follow the guidelines required by the PUC when installing the line. Selectboards, planning commissions and landowners will be able to comment and ask questions about this issue, and it’s in all of our interests to do so.

There is reason to be concerned. VGS failed to have a qualified engineer oversee the installation of the pipeline. The PUC has found specific safety concerns. Soils were not properly compacted at road and driveway crossings, and sections of the pipeline were not buried at the proper depth under high-voltage lines. Reliable testing by an independent engineer in 2019 showed that the pipeline had risen, and in one area was only 29 inches beneath the surface — well less than the 4 feet that the PUC ruled in 2013 was necessary for public safety.

The people who work/live in or near the businesses and homes that rely on natural gas deserve a thorough analysis by independent experts to determine that the pipeline is safe and reliable. PUC proceedings regarding the pipeline will begin soon, and I hope that you’ll join me in making our voices heard.

Vermont law states that VGS must notify all affected selectboards, planning commissions and landowners within two days of the commencement of the PUC proceeding on whether to approve of five changes at issue. The proceedings have not yet started. Once you receive notice, you can submit a form to the PUC stating your intent to be a party. The proceedings will be virtual, so you can participate from home.

Sally Burrell

Bristol

Editor’s note: Sally Burrell wrote this on behalf of the 350VT Addison County Node.