Special to the Patriot-Bridge
Charlestown residents are raising serious concerns about the last minute notice and inadequate safety measures for a major gas line project on High Street – claiming the City of Boston neglected to follow its own notification and oversight requirements.
According to the City’s 2025 utility construction guidelines, utility companies are required to notify the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) at least 30 days before major work begins. And yet, residents say they only heard about the planned construction work on Friday, May 1st, when orange cones with no parking signs were set up along both sides of High Street.
The National Grid gas line construction project that received a permit from the city to begin on Sat, May 2 is taking place in a densely populated residential area, several feet from homes with children, the elderly, and residents with respiratory conditions.
High Street resident and Neighborhood Councilor, Johanna Hynes, is calling on city officials to take responsibility for the lack of notice and inadequate protective measures. “Enough is enough,” said Hynes. “We want answers. Did National Grid let the Office of Neighborhood Services know about the gas line project 30 days in advance – as is required by the CIty? Yes or no? If they did, why didn’t the city let us know sooner? This is not a minor modification – as the BRA likes to say – We’re talking about an invasive excavation site that will cause major disruption and introduce a whole range of known contaminants into the air we breathe. If the guys in the construction crew are wearing N95 masks and protective eye shields, it’s for a good reason.
“For the record, no one blames the Feeney Brothers crew for doing their jobs – in fact, they’ve been very understanding regarding some of these concerns,” said Hynes. “The problem lies with the city not the construction crew. Prioritizing the health and safety of Boston residents is the city’s responsibility. At a minimum, the city needs to provide a buffer/fencing – to keep the toxic particulate matter from entering peoples houses and lungs.
A formal petition and complaint has been filed demanding answers to the following questions: when was ONS first notified? Did the city consider holding a community outreach meeting or informing the CNC? And most importantly, what’s the city’s plan for protecting the people from sub surface particular pollutants, construction dust, and diesel fumes?
“Residents shouldn’t be the last to know about an excavation site 3 feet from their front doors,” another neighbor said. “This is not a one off – it’s a pattern. We live here and we have a right to know as soon as the city knows about utility construction projects that will make our lives harder and less safe for the foreseeable future.”