State Receives Perfect Score Three Years in a Row from Federal Pipeline Safety Agency

11:05AM / Sunday, November 23, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) received another perfect score from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for its pipeline safety oversight program in 2024.

This evaluation marks the third consecutive year that the DPU's Pipeline Safety Division has received a perfect score for the enforcement and implementation of federal pipeline safety standards.

"The Pipeline Safety Division is one hundred percent committed to vigilant oversight of the gas utilities and the safety of our state's natural gas system," said Chair Jeremy McDiarmid. "Under its current leadership, the Division has stepped up, increased its staff, and is ever focused on core safety operations. That dedication is reflected in our track record of receiving the highest scores possible for PHMSA's annual evaluations. The Pipeline Safety Division will continue its efforts, working hard every day to ensure the safety of gas operators, workers, and the public."

The DPU's Pipeline Safety Division is dedicated to the safety and integrity of intrastate pipelines in Massachusetts. Through rigorous enforcement, the Division ensures that the investor-owned gas utilities, municipal gas departments, steam distribution companies, and operators of intrastate Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) facilities comply with both state and federal safety laws. In recent years, the Pipeline Safety Division, which is led by its Director Richard Enright, increased its staffing by over 300 percent to now include three attorneys and a total of 20 total engineers, with three dedicated damage prevention engineers and one engineer dedicated to the inspection of steam distribution systems. Mr. Enright has managed the Division since September 2019 and is an esteemed professional with 26 years in the gas operations industry at nearly every major utility. Under his leadership, the Division's team of committed engineers, attorneys, and support staff have transformed the safety culture within the DPU and the gas industry, ensuring that the state's gas infrastructure is safe and reliable.

PHMSA is the federal agency tasked with regulating the safety of the transportation of energy and other hazardous materials. It must review annual Progress Reports, pipeline program procedures and records, and observe on-site inspections done by state safety regulators to adequately assess each state's pipeline safety program when conducting evaluations. Since 2022, the Pipeline Safety Division has scored the maximum possible points for both portions of PHMSA's evaluation.

By increasing its oversight of gas utilities and contractors, the Pipeline Safety Division has led a transformative shift in educating and enforcing the laws. With legislative changes increasing penalties for gas operators who violate pipeline safety laws and regulations, the Pipeline Safety Division drove the reduction in damages through its enforcement, an increased field presence, and education. Its Damage Prevention Program provides educational seminars across the state throughout the year. The implementation of new pipeline and damage prevention databases has helped to maintain accurate and reliable data and record-keeping of gas infrastructure. The Pipeline Safety Division continues to collaborate with Dig Safe, Inc. to promote awareness in New England and help educate excavators, contractors, and property owners on the safety laws that must be followed before outdoor digging projects can commence.

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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