Acton Select Board approves National Grid pipe replacements after heated debate, public objections

National Grid won approval from the Acton Select Board on May 19 to proceed with replacement of aging gas mains in multiple locations after a lengthy public hearing and debate about alternatives, costs and environmental impacts.

The hearings covered a planned replacement of roughly 3,180 feet of older steel main on Central Street and a separate, larger project affecting Arlington Street, Elm Street, Houghton Lane and other short runs. National Grid representatives told the board the work is part of the company’s replacement program intended to address leak-prone pipe and improve system reliability.

Why it matters: Advocates pressed the board to demand repair-first approaches and to consider how investment in new gas infrastructure shifts costs to ratepayers while the state pursues decarbonization. The board approved the applications but several members expressed reservations and pressed town staff to require stricter engineering oversight and clearer prioritization of projects.

National Grid’s representative said the work “is part of the bare steel replacement program and it’s to keep safety, reliability, integrity in…