As director of governmental and regulatory affairs at Summit Natural Gas of Maine, I feel it necessary to respond to the allegations asserted by Danielle Quirion in a letter (“Summit Natural Gas is cutting safety corners”) published on Oct. 31.

It is important that the public understands that Summit takes its safety obligations very seriously and works closely with the Maine Public Utilities Commission to ensure the safety of the general public.

Summit maintains constant communication with its installation crews to ensure that the public’s safety is not compromised. No gas lines were put into service in 2014 without first verifying the integrity of the nearby sewer lines. Our pipeline system can be placed into service only after a number of safety inspections are performed and, even then, not until approval is received from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Additionally, the design, construction, operation, inspection and maintenance of all operating natural gas pipelines are subject to state and federal regulations, including those of the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

As part of our commitment to safety, we have a public awareness campaign in place that is designed to help residents in our service areas stay safe, understand our methods of installation and how natural gas works, and provide our contact information. We encourage anyone interested in learning more to visit our website at www.summitnaturalgasmaine.com/natural-gas-safety.

We are committed to keeping the state of Maine safe. Our company has offices in Cumberland and Augusta and works closely with the communities we serve. We employ more than 60 individuals from Maine, all of whom work hard to bring a safe lower cost energy source to homes and businesses across our great state.

Stacey Fitts

Pittsfield

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