Girl Scout Silver Award Project Tracks Bedford's Methane Spikes

Ameera Saba and Carina Panfili presented their Silver Award project findings to the Bedford Arbor Resources Committee – Image (c) JMcCT, 2019 all rights reserved

By Julie McCay Turner

Bedford Girl Scouts Sabrina Turner, Ameera Saba and Carina Panfili of Cadette Troop 85197 began their Silver Award project with a presentation to the Bedford Arbor Resources Committee (BARC), in May. The girls began their research in November 2018, and introduced their project at a BARC meeting in mid-May, 2019. Click this link to read about their project. The Scouts displayed a poster highlighting their research at the Bedford Free Public Library.

Carina Panfili and Ameera Saba returned to the July 23 BARC meeting to present the results of their study.

While there is an ambient level of methane in the atmosphere, when a ‘spike’ identified, it is typically evidence of a gas leak. The team has created a website https://methaneinbedfordma.org/ and shared their findings with BARC, Mothers Out Front, and The Bedford Citizen.

Streets with a methane concentration of 50% above background (a high concentration):

Fox Run Road/Springs Road (Billerica Line)
Fox Run Road/Hosmer way
Hartwell Road/Sorens Way

Streets with a methane concentration between 25%-50% above background (medium concentration)

Fox Run Road/Glen Ora Drive
Fern Way/Winchester Drive
Great Road/South Road
Hartwell between Sorens Way and Concord Road

Streets with a methane concentration between 5%-25% above background (low concentration)

Fox Run/Springs Road (Bedford)
Old Stagecoach Road/Sweeney Ridge Road
Great Road between North Road and South Road
South Road/Evergreen
Lane Farm Drive

Background concentration of methane is approximately 1.9 parts per million (ppm)

The importance of gas system check valves cannot be underestimated. Residents are urged to learn the location of their nearest checkvalve — on their street, or on their property. Be certain the valve is visible or easily accessible should gas service need to be turned off in an emergency.