Boston city councilor once again pushes for hearing on 'stray voltage' incidents

BOSTON — Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn is once again calling on his colleagues to hold a hearing to examine the issues related to “stray voltage” in the city, which led to at least one dog being killed and others being injured last year.

A dog was fatally electrocuted by stray voltage while walking with his owner on Southampton Street January 30, 2018.

>>RELATED: Dog shocked on Castle Island

Just weeks later, frayed wires on a Castle Island light post nearly killed a pooch who walked through an electrify puddle on March 23, 2018.

Other ‘stray voltage’ incidents have been reported in Boston over the past 15 years.

“The City of Boston contains older electrical cabinets and, during the winter months, the ground in the vicinity of this infrastructure can become saturated and mixed with salt used to help clear the city’s roads and sidewalks; moreover this combination of saturated ground and salt can corrode wiring and grounding lugs to present conditions where tragic events like this can occur,” stated Flynn’s order for a hearing regarding the issues related to stray voltage in the City of Boston.

Flynn’s order also requests, “…relevant City of Boston departments be invited to discuss the causes of these incidents, the pertinent infrastructure involved, whether a study of older infrastructure in the city is feasible, and continue to brainstorm regarding short and long-term steps that may be taken to help reduce the likelihood of events like this from occurring in the future.”

On Wednesday, the matter was assigned to the Committee on City, Neighborhood Services, Veterans and Military Families for a hearing.

Cox Media Group