Conservation Law Foundation, Inc. v. National Grid USA

Conservation Law Foundation, two other organizations, and individual plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in federal district court in the District of Massachusetts against National Grid USA and two related entities alleging that their pipeline system “leaks methane chronically and persistently” and harmed communities in the City of Chelsea and the City of Boston. The complaint alleged that the harms of gas leaks included risks of explosions and fires and poisoning of trees leading to exacerbation of the heat island effect and heat-related illnesses. The plaintiffs also alleged that methane was a potent greenhouse gas that was responsible for about 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. The plaintiffs asserted that defendants violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Pipeline Safety Act, the Massachusetts Public Shade Tree Law, and the Massachusetts Environmental Citizen Suit Statute, and also sought to hold the defendants liable for negligence and creation of public nuisances (damage and death of public shade trees and imminent explosion and fire risks). The plaintiffs sought damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, civil penalties, and reasonable litigation costs.