NORTH ANDOVER, MA — When she was initially told it would take weeks or months for gas service to be restored to her home on Pleasant Street in North Andover, Linda Battalagine thought she’d “tough it out.” But two weeks ago, after contracting bronchitis that eventually turned into pneumonia, she decided she would call Columbia Gas of Massachusetts to see if she could take advantage the temporary housing the company was offering. This weekend she was finally approved to move to a hotel in Manchester, NH, more than 30 miles from her home.
On Monday, that meant it took Battalagine more than three hours to get to work in Watertown, and only because she was able to convince her 17-year-old daughter to drive her 14-year-old son to school. More than a month after gas explosions ripped through North Andover, Andover and Lawrence, life for many is back to normal. But for the residents without gas service or who owned or lived in one of the 131 buildings damaged by the explosions, the “new normal” is taxing.
Last week Columbia Gas unveiled a housing plan for residents, some of whom may be without gas service until November 19. The plan included leasing 370 R/V trailers, 4,600 hotel rooms and 164 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The utility said most of the hotel rooms were within 30 miles of the Merrimack Valley and that it was leasing a cruise ship docked in Boston to house workers to free up hotel rooms closer to the Merrimack Valley.
Columbia Gas said it received 57 new housing requests on Saturday, up from 30 on Friday. As of Saturday afternoon, it had assigned 58 of the trailers and had filled 1,600 of the hotel rooms it had leased.
“It has been horrific, trying to get housing has been horrible,”Battalagine said. “I guess the take home message is Columbia Gas is trying to rush through this, and minimize their financial costs without one bit of compassion to what their negligence has caused.”
Judy Rakowsky, a spokesperson for Columbia Gas, said the company was trying to place people in temporary housing as close as possible to their home or work.
“Columbia Gas is working with affected customers to place them in alternate housing as close to their homes and places of work as possible and providing transportation to the lodgings for those who don’t have it.,” she said. “The company is focused on getting gas restored to all affected customers as fast as possible so they can be warm in their own homes.”
Food Fight
For Battalagine, the three-hour commute was only the latest in a series of hardships caused by the disaster. The apartment she has rented for eight years resembles a construction zone, as Columbia Gas workers ripped out appliances that had been custom-built for the cabinets to install a temporary hotplate.
When Battalagine requested reimbursement for takeout food she had purchased for her kids, the request was denied. When she spoke to an Columbia Gas adjuster about the denial, she said she was told “we already gave you a hotplate.”
“I could have been in a warm hotel, with a food allowance, laundry machine, but I chose to stay home and tough it out, and not take advantage of the situation,” Battalagine said. “I saved them thousands of dollars by not taking the room two weeks ago. Seems like the price of take out was the very least they could do for all the inconvenience, suffering and grief this has caused.”
On Friday, she called Rep. Diane Dizoglio (D-Methuen). Dizoglio’s office was able to get her set up with a stipend to pay for food while she’s living in the hotel.
Inconsistency In Claims Process
Not everyone is frustrated with the claims process. Lorraine McGee, who has a chiropractic office in Andover, said she was without gas for two days but was quickly reimbursed for her losses.
“The company that Columbia gas used for my claim for lost business income was superb. I supplied them with what they requested and they reimbursed me, a very large amount, within 2 weeks,” she said. “I’m sure many people are frustrated, but my experience has been different.”
But for others, the uncertainty is growing tiresome. On Monday afternoon, Gail Sears was waiting for an electrician to install the electric stove she had purchased over the weekend. Even though Columbia Gas’s Website said her three-family house on Waverly Road was on the “72-hour list” last Wednesday, there has been no sign of gas service being restored anytime soon. Each unit in the building now has a different date for when service is supposed to be restored on Columbia Gas’s interactive map.
“If we all knew the time frame we were in for, we could at least plan. But we can’t plan because everything keeps changing,” she said. “I have this brand new stove going in today, but who knows? Maybe they’ll fix my gas tomorrow.”
Sears says there has been inconsistencies in what Columbia Gas is and is not covering. While some residents had requests for food reimbursements denied like Battalagine, others had not problem getting their meals covered. Sears and Battalagine are part of a growing group that is exchanging information and comparing notes online and in-person.
“What we’re seeing is there are massive inconsistencies between adjusters,” Sears said. “Some people are not even getting their adjuster to call back, while others are getting all of their claims paid.”
Never miss another local news story: Get free local news alerts right to your inbox.
Photo of one of the 370 trailers leased by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. Photo by Town of North Andover.
Dave Copeland can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey