Sixteen Temple Street residents called for the replacement of Beacon Hill’s methane gas sidewalk lamps with “energy-efficient” electric replacements in an open letter published Sunday in The Beacon Hill Times. Residents voiced concerns for the road’s trees, 16 of which have been killed or seriously harmed because of gas leaks. Those trees were planted in 1977 — the same year the gas lamps were installed. Roughly more than two-thirds of the trees have since died, while the remaining five are in bad health, according to the letter. Â
The letter says a gas expert from Gas Safety USA found “elevated methane concentrations” in the trees’ soil. Leaked methane displaces soil oxygen, ultimately triggering root death and limiting tree growth, according to the University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center. The letter also cited additional concerns of a pervasive smell of gas along Temple Street and increased methane levels in residences.Â
Click here to read the full article and learn more, posted on December 4th, 2020 on The Daily Free Press.
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