Officers arrest Baltimore residents after hours-long standoff with gas company

By Paul Gessler, Kelsey Kushner

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — Three Baltimore residents protesting the installation of exterior gas equipment were arrested in Federal Hill on Thursday afternoon.

The residents stood guard to stop BGE from further shutting off their power.

On Thursday, BGE crews and contractors were involved in an hours-long standoff with residents on Warren Avenue before police took action.

Residents in the historic homes near Federal Hill Park say they didn’t give their consent for BGE to install gas-pressure regulators, which means contractors would need to drill three-inch holes in their marble, granite and brick facades.

Additional police officers showed up to defuse the situation. They gave residents several minutes to leave before arrests were made.

“We shouldn’t have cops out here mediating a conflict between utility workers and residents,” Attorney Thiru Vignarajah said.

BGE said that “Customers are required to provide BGE with unobstructed access to this equipment under the terms of BGE’s Gas Service Tariff as well as applicable regulations. This includes all piping up to and including the gas meter. Any action to deny access to the equipment will start a service disconnection process per the Gas Service Tariff”

BGE cut off service to several homes because the homeowners refused to consent to the utility company tearing up their sidewalks and drilling into their homes.

“I plan on standing for my neighbors in the square so that they can’t dig up the road,” Federal Hill resident Sandra Seward said.

Representatives from the Mayor’s Office and Baltimore Police Department told residents that around 2 p.m., they were authorized to detain them if they interfered with the work.

WJZ’s Paul Gessler was there as several residents were detained.

“They’re trying to strong-arm residents into giving consent, into having their houses torn apart, their streets torn apart,” Vignarajah said.

During the standoff, Baltimore Police Maj. Sam Hood told residents, “We’re at an impasse.”

Lt. Col. John Herzog said they reached out to the police department’s legal department, who advised them residents were breaking the law.

Another police commander asked residents to consider standing aside.

However, residents said BGE’s actions are predatory and punitive by shutting off gas to residents with no notice.

Residents plan on filing a lawsuit this week in circuit court after BGE shut off service. Vignarajah said 225 residents have joined the lawsuit.

“Look, there’s no emergency work here, stop, let the courts decide,” said Claudia Towles. “We’re in this for the long haul because we believe this is an injustice, that this is an illegal action.”

Some gas-pressure regulators were installed in some of the homes without consent, residents told WJZ.

“BGE is talking about drilling three-inch bore holes through marble that’s 100 years old,” Vignarajah said.

A BGE spokesperson said they won’t comment on pending litigation but these regulators were reviewed and approved by the Public Service Commission.

“BGE has always undertaken and will continue to undertake work that enhances the safety and reliability of the natural gas distribution system. This work is reviewed and approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission, is in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and is communicated to customers and impacted property owners multiple times through a variety of channels including community meetings, letters, door hangers, and information on BGE.com.”

BGE also said gas-pressure regulators are safer, and in the event of any release or leak, gas won’t build up inside a home.

BGE went on to say that it has “an obligation to maintain the safety and reliability of its natural gas distribution system. As we have said previously many times, BGE’s placement of regulators on the outside of properties rather than inside is meant to enhance system safety and reliability. BGE is modernizing its gas system by replacing its aging low-pressure gas infrastructure with a higher-pressure system. The new system will provide more reliable and resilient natural gas service to residents. This work cannot happen without the upgrade to or addition of gas regulators to maintain a safe level of pressure between the gas system and customers’ homes and appliances.”

Furthermore, BGE said, “externally placed regulators are safer because in the event of an unintended gas release incident, gas vents directly into the atmosphere as opposed to building up inside a structure where it is susceptible to ignition that can have catastrophic results. External regulators are also readily accessible to first responders and BGE personnel in the event of a gas emergency as opposed to internal regulators that cannot be accessed as quickly.”

Baltimore residents expressed frustration over the conflict.

Protester Maggie Fitzsimmons said that BGE has been uncooperative with residents.

“When we ask BGE to supply us with data that supports one type of installation over another, they consistently refuse to do so,” she said.

Stephen Topping described the situation as “unbelievably frustrated.”

“It makes me want to cry, to be honest with you,” he said.

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