NiSource Statement on NTSB Investigation

MERRILVILLE, Ind., Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NiSource, Inc. NI today released the following statement following the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) meeting on its investigation of the September 13, 2018 event in the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts:

"The NTSB's work is an important step in the effort to enhance pipeline safety. Our own understanding of the events generally aligns with that of the NTSB. We welcome today's action by the NTSB because it will help us, our industry partners, the public, and others learn from this tragedy. As we've said since that tragic day, we take responsibility for what happened.

"Since last September, and based on lessons learned, we have taken a series of steps to prevent something similar from happening again, which is what our customers and our communities deserve. These include installing automatic shut-off devices, accelerating implementation of a Safety Management System, or SMS, enhancing emergency preparedness, enhanced mapping, and more.

"We cooperated fully with the NTSB to help assess what happened and we thank them for their diligent work.

"We have committed to our customers and our communities that we will continue to learn from what happened and implement changes to protect the public.

"We will continue to work with all stakeholders to help prevent something similar from happening again, in our system or anywhere."

About Columbia Gas of Massachusetts

More information about Columbia Gas recovery efforts to date can be found here: https://www.columbiagas.com/massachusetts/news-center

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts delivers clean, affordable and efficient natural gas to over 320,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Massachusetts, the greater Springfield area and the Merrimack Valley.  Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, the company is the largest gas-only provider in the state and is one of NiSource's seven regulated utility companies.  NiSource NI is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands.  More information about Columbia Gas of Massachusetts is available at www.ColumbiaGasMA.com.

About NiSource
NiSource Inc. NI is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across seven states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Based in Merrillville, Indiana, NiSource's approximately 8,100 employees are focused on safely delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers and communities we serve. NiSource is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America Index and the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index and has been named by Forbes magazine among America's Best Large Employers since 2016. Additional information about NiSource, its investments in modern infrastructure and systems, its commitments and its local brands can be found at www.nisource.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/nisource, www.linkedin.com/company/nisource or www.twitter.com/nisourceinc. NI-F

SOURCE NiSource Inc.