BU Today Article:

Fueling Global Warming, Not Homes

News Releases

For Release Upon Receipt – May 13, 2011
Contact: Patrick Farrell, 617-358-1185, pmfarrel@bu.edu

BU RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY EXTENSIVE METHANE LEAKS UNDER STREETS OF BOSTON
New findings by to be presented May 17-18 at NOAA Global Monitoring Conference in Boulder, CO

(Boston) — Earlier this year, Boston University researchers and collaborators conducted a mobile greenhouse-gas audit in Boston and found hundreds of natural gas leaks under the streets and sidewalks of Greater Boston. Nathan Phillips, associate professor of geography and environment and director of BU’s Center for Environmental and Energy Studies (CEES), and his research partners will present these and related findings at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) Global Monitoring Annual Conference, May 17-18 in Boulder, Colorado.

Phillips and partners Picarro, Inc., Gas Safety USA, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, are currently researching the economic and environmental impacts of these leaks. Their work updates earlier findings that unaccounted-for gas amounted to eight billion cubic feet in Massachusetts, costing about $40 million. Such gas leaks have been implicated in damage and mortality of urban and suburban street trees. Evidence from other states indicates that the situation in Boston is likely similar to cities and towns across the nation.

In an attempt to identify major methane sources in Boston and Indianapolis, Phillips and his research partners systematically measured methane (CH4) concentrations at street level using a vehicle-mounted cavity “ringdown” analyzer. A number of discrete sources were detected at concentration levels in excess of 15 times background levels. Background levels of methane were also measured to be 10 percent higher than the world-wide average of 1.860 ppm. Measurements of CH4 concentration levels along with detailed location information will be presented. In addition, chamber flux measurements of discrete sources will also be presented.

Recent measurements indicate that urban emissions are a significant source of CH4 and in fact may be substantially higher than current inventory estimates. As such, urban emissions could contribute 7-15 percent to the global anthropogenic budget of methane. Although it is known that the per capita carbon footprint of compact cities such as New York City, Boston, and San Francisco are smaller than sprawling cities such as Houston, the strengths of individual sources within these cities are not well known. Such information is of use to government policy makers because it can be used to incentivize changes in transportation and land use patterns.

The ESRL conference is part of a continuing effort by atmospheric scientists and other earth scientists to stay abreast of recent observations concerning trace gases, aerosols, radiation, ozone, and climate forcing and to provide a forum in which these observations can be relayed and discussed. In addition to ESRL reports, the conference also will include presentations related to these themes by both independent and cooperative investigators, and other national and international programs.

The conference website and Phillips’ presentation abstract can be found:

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/annualconference/
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/annualconference/abs.php?refnum=99-110418-A

About Boston University

Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU contains 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.
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Contact for questions about the research:

Nathan Phillips
Boston University
Department of Geography and Environment
Center for Energy and Environmental Studies
Boston, MA 02215 USA
617.353.2841 (office)
617.997.1057 (mobile)
nathan@bu.edu
www.bu.edu/geography

The following researchers/institutions contributed to this report:

E. Crosson and S. Tan, Picarro Inc., 3105 Patrick Henry Drive, Santa Clara, CA 94054

N. Phillips and L. Hutyra, Boston University, Department of Geography/Environment, Center for Energy/Environmental Studies, Boston, MA 02215, ,

J. Turnbull and C. Sweeney, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309

R. Ackley, Gas Safety Inc., Southborough, MA 01772

Natural Gas Watch . org

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Boston Globe South Jessica Bartlett Reports

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WHDH Hank Phillipi Ryan investigates the fact that thousands of potentially hazardous gas leaks go unrepaired for years

Boston Globe News

An Act Relative To Natural Gas Leaks

A bill filed by Representative Lori Ehrlich of the 8th Essex will enhance public safety,  protect our environment and create green jobs for our economy. The bill will hold gas companies responsible for damage to trees and other vegetation and require repair of all gas leaks. Lori Ehrlich is leading the commonwealth on a true green jobs bill.  A hearing by the Joint Committee on Telecommunications & Energy will be held June 16th, 1:00, room B-2 at the Statehouse.  Please contact your legislators and urge them to support this bill!

Full text of the bill:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4948        FILED ON: 3/22/2010

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

^{_______________}

PRESENTED BY:

Lori Ehrlich

^{_______________}

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
                Court assembled:

                The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:

An Act Relative to Natural Gas Leaks.

^{_______________}

PETITION OF:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

^{_______________}

In the Year Two Thousand and Ten

^{_______________}

An Act Relative to Natural Gas Leaks.

                Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 144.  The following shall constitute the Natural Gas Leak Classification Standard for the Commonwealth.

Grade 1.A leak that represents an existing or probable hazard to persons or structures. Such leak requires immediate repair until the conditions are no longer hazardous.

Grade 2A. A leak that is recognized as being non-hazardous to persons or structures but justifies scheduled repair based on probable future hazard to persons or structures or any leak that is within the drip line or root zone of any tree.  Repair is required within 6 months with monthly monitoring. 

Grade 2.  Any leak that is recognized as being non-hazardous to persons or structures but damages public or private vegetation.  Repair is required within 15 months with monitoring every six months. 

Grade 3.  Any leak that is non-hazardous to persons, structures or vegetation and is expected to remain non-hazardous to persons, structures or vegetation.  Repair is required within 36 months.  Monitoring is required annually not to exceed 15 months.

The Chairman of the Department of Public Utilities shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to effectuate the purposes of the Natural Gas Leak Classification Standard.  Such rules and regulations shall require that companies subject to the Chairman’s supervision that are responsible for the maintenance and repair of natural gas lines report to the Chairman on an annual basis the grades of any leaks detected as part of any mandated compliance surveys.  The rules and regulations shall require the repair of any Grade 1, 2A, 2 and 3 leaks where excavation of a public way in the ordinary course makes such repair technically feasible.

SECTION 2.  Chapter 242 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 7A the following section:-

Section 7B.  Any person responsible for the maintenance and repair of any natural gas pipeline shall be liable for any damage to trees on public or private property caused by the leaking of natural gas.  Such person shall be liable for single damages only if the leak is repaired in according with the Natural Gas Leak Classification Standard established by section 144 of chapter 164, otherwise double or triple damages shall be allowed depending on whether the acts were knowing or willful.