[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 146 (Thursday, September 12, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE SEPTEMBER 13, 2018, MERRIMACK VALLEY GAS 
                               EXPLOSIONS

  (Mrs. TRAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. TRAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of a tragic 
anniversary that the residents of the Merrimack Valley will never 
forget.
  Tomorrow marks 1 year since a cascade of explosions in Lawrence, 
Andover, and North Andover, Massachusetts, damaged over 130 homes and 
businesses, burning several to the ground.
  At least 20 people were sent to the hospital. A Lawrence police 
officer, Ivan Soto, lost his home while aiding his community. Shakira 
Figueroa was seriously injured, and a young man, Leonel Rondon, lost 
his life.
  An NTSB investigation revealed a series of failures by the gas 
company as it replaced pipelines in the area. Oversights allowed the 
full flow of high-pressure gas to enter a low-pressure distribution 
system.
  In April, I introduced the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act to 
prevent this type of disaster from ever happening again. We owe it to 
the Sotos, the Figueroas, the Rondons, and the many other families who 
suffered on September 13 to pass strong pipeline safety legislation 
this year.

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