The Town Manager’s Gas Leaks Task Force was formed in 2016. Its mission has evolved to advocate and encourage regulators and utilities to accelerate the repair of gas leaks in Arlington, and to phase-out the natural gas distribution supply network. Leaked gas released enough methane in 2025 to rank gas leaks as the town’s third-largest source of greenhouse emissions. The Town Manager’s Gas Leaks Task Force urges a swift transition from utility gas to electricity to reduce the risks and harms associated with natural gas use.
National Grid, the gas utility company in Arlington, reported in official filings that 757 gas leaks were found in Arlington during 2025, about the same number as the previous year. By year’s end nearly half of those leaks remained unaddressed: 388 repairs were still pending.
The Town tracks greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Net Zero Action Plan efforts. The most recent available inventory data shows leaked utility gas accounted for 6% of the Town’s total emissions (14,895 metric tons) making it the third-largest source after buildings and vehicles. Some leak measurements include the area where leaking gas can be detected. During 2025, utility gas emissions were detected across six acres of land.
Leaked utility gas poses multiple hazards: it can cause explosions, kill trees, harm human health, and worsen climate change. National Grid is responsible for leak repairs under state law and regulations. The timeline for repairs is set by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and determined by the risk they pose to people, property, and the environment. The maximum time allowable for a leak to remain open is eight years. Approximately 16 leaks are past due for repair. There are also 92 open leaks in Arlington, identified prior to the establishment of the DPU regulations, that are exempt from the timeline and have remained open for as long as 27 years.
The natural gas distribution infrastructure in Massachusetts is one of the oldest and most leak prone in the country, and Arlington averages multiple leaks per mile of road. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
published a study of methane leaks in the Boston region that found leaks are significantly under-counted. Field observations by advocates suggest there may be two to three times more leaks than National Grid’s reports indicate. With the aid of a gas leak detector, the Task Force conducted a random sampling of leaks National Grid reported as repaired in 2023 and found that 80% remain active. Based on these results, even full pipeline replacement, which is National Grid’s preferred method for addressing leaks, does not stop the system from leaking at the joints where two or more pipes connect. These intersections are the most common failure point. The Task Force recognizes the cost and disruption associated with repeated repairs and advocates instead for a rapid transition from utility gas to electricity.
The Task Force and the Town of Arlington appreciate the significant effort and attention National Grid devotes to the effort to transition to a clean-energy future, and stand ready to proactively partner with the company to identify non-pipeline alternatives in the Arlington community to support the Commonwealth’s climate goals.
