Medford Conservation Commission Approves Mystic River Gas Line Drilling Permit

MEDFORD -- November 16, 2022, Medford Conservation Commission unanimously approved a horizontal directional drilling project to install a new gas line beneath the Mystic River along Winthrop and South streets. The board voted 5-0 Wednesday to issue an order of conditions for Boston Gas Company, represented by Carolyn Gorse of BSC Group, after the applicant demonstrated that alternatives including bridge attachment and jack-and-bore drilling were infeasible or unsafe. Conditions include tree protection at the north-bank entry point, erosion control inspection before any work begins, identification of excavated material stockpile locations, and a spill-reporting protocol under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan. The HDD process is expected to take three to five weeks once mobilized, with construction tentatively targeted for summer 2023, though DCR easement negotiations may push that timeline. The commission also continued a housing authority stormwater hearing for Riverside Avenue to December 7, after a consultant presented revised drainage designs responding to MassDEP comments, including replacing a flagged infiltration basin with a bioretention area.