Baltimore's Greektown community joins fight against BGE's gas regulator installation
BALTIMORE - The fight to halt the installation of high-pressure gas regulators outside of certain homes by Baltimore Gas and Electric is now in Greektown.
On Monday evening, a group of residents gathered with attorney Thiru Vignarajah near Eastern Avenue and Umbra Street to discuss alleged "aggressive tactics" used to yield consent for the utility upgrade by BGE and its contractors.
"There's a huge growing population of seniors and native Spanish speakers in this neighborhood," Vignarajah said. "Folks that didn't understand that they had alternatives."
The gathering in Greektown comes within weeks of a class-action lawsuit filed against the utility company aimed to block the installation of the external regulators and to stop service from being shut off to those who refuse.
There are now more than 400 plaintiffs, according to Vignarajah.
"Many neighbors feel confused, coerced and scared of services being cut off and of dangerous regulators being installed that we don't want that are prone to vandalism, tampering and car crashes," read a supporter.
A judge granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the installation of the gas regulators until Sept. 5.
However, the order does permit the utility company to make upgrades in instances of new business, Flower Branch Act situations and where a property owner volunteer written consent.
BGE previously stated that although failures are rare when it occurs indoors, they could lead to a catastrophic incident. The company used the example of the 2016 tragedy in Silver Spring at Flower Branch Apartments that left seven people dead and many more injured. The NTSB cited a faulty gas regulator as the cause.
"While some have noted the possibility of damage to outdoor regulators from vehicle strikes or other scenarios, those incidents pose significantly less risk for a catastrophic gas incident. BGE's safety practices are fully supported by the relevant regulations and tariffs," the company added.
According to BGE, a Spanish translation of the authorization work form is available to customers. The work requires the signature of the property owner, which is confirmed through a database indicating whether it's owned or rented.
The Maryland Public Service Commission scheduled a hearing to also discuss the placement of gas service regulators on August 15.
A conference hearing is scheduled for Sept. 5, where the attorney behind the class action lawsuit explained, a judge may either allow litigation proceedings to move forward or extend the TRO.
Previous stories
- City Council hears complaints from Baltimore residents over BGE's installation of gas regulators
- Residents suing BGE urge historic preservation to forbid gas regulator installations on 100-year-old homes
- West Baltimore residents join class action lawsuit against BGE
- Customers arrested protesting BGE gas equipment sue utility as work continues in Federal Hill
- Judge denies BGE's request to cancel preliminary hearing in class action lawsuit
- Baltimore residents argue in lawsuit BGE can't force 'dangerous' exterior gas regulator on customers
- Baltimore homeowners notch first win, judge orders restraining order to halt BGE work
