The top officials of Springfield, MA, plan to ask Columbia Gas Co. of Massachusetts for $1 million to cover damages tied to the explosion on its natural gas system in late November.

The explosion on the Columbia Gas system rocked Springfield in a three to four block radius, damaging 42 homes and businesses and sending 18 people, mostly first responders, to area hospitals (see Daily GPI, Nov, 27, 2012). Human error by a utility employee was cited as the cause of the blast.

According to the initial findings of the fire marshal and the state’s Department of Public Utilities, an unidentified employee of Columbia Gas “accidentally punctured” a pipe in the vicinity of a strip club on Worthington St., which was the epicenter of the explosion.

Kevin E. Kennedy, the city’s chief development officer, said the proposed settlement will be carved into three components, each carrying a $300,000 to $400,000 price tag.

The first component will include fixed costs, such as damages to emergency vehicles, over-time costs and costs for clean-up activities, said Columbia Gas spokeswoman Sheila Doirin. The second component addresses personal injury costs and lost time for city workers.

The third component of the settlement will go towards the city’s redevelopment effort of the area that was hit by the pipeline explosion, she said.

Doirin noted that Columbia Gas and the city are still in settlement discussions. She further said the company has received 800 claims from residents and businesses who have sustained damages, half of which have been settled.

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