For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Bill would require landlords to contact tenants about regulators and coordinate installation of a mercury-free replacement
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 29, 2021—Today the Montgomery County Council unanimously voted to approve Expedited Bill 50-20 – Landlord-Tenant Relations – Fire Safety - Removal of Mercury Service Regulators, which would require landlords to schedule the immediate replacement of indoor mercury service regulators and provide certain notices to tenants. Council President Tom Hucker is the lead sponsor of the bill and Council Vice President Albornoz, Councilmembers Riemer, Navarro, Katz, Rice and Jawando are cosponsors.
"I’ll never forget hearing the explosion at the Flower Branch apartments from my house and running over to see the apartments engulfed in flames," said Council President Hucker. "This bill serves as an accountability tool to protect tenants. I'm grateful to my colleagues for their unanimous support of this life-saving legislation and to all the community partners for their advocacy and hard work along the way."
Expedited Bill 50-20 requires landlords in the County to report mercury service regulators in their properties to their gas utility to facilitate their replacement with safer, more modern devices. To determine whether a mercury service regulator is present in a property and to schedule its replacement, landlords should take a picture of the regulator and send it to Washington Gas Light Company (WGL). Instructions on the process can be found on WGL’s website page with information about mercury service regulators. Landlords will also be required to immediately notify their tenants once the regulators have been replaced.
Mercury service regulators regulate the flow of natural gas into the home and can cause natural gas to build up and ignite, if not installed properly.
The National Transportation Safety Board found that the Aug. 2016 explosion at the Flower Branch Apartments in Silver Spring was caused by a failing mercury service regulator that was not connected to a vent line, allowing natural gas to build up and ignite. The explosion and fire killed seven people and displaced more than 100 residents. The replacement of these regulators would improve tenant protections and fire safety to prevent future tragedies of this nature.
The Council staff report for Expedited Bill 50-20 can be viewed here.
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Release ID: 21-273