Experts at a West Boylston lab will on Monday begin
testing evidence to determine what caused a Hopkinton apartment building to
explode last summer, killing two young sisters as they slept on the second
floor.
Massachusetts Materials Research Inc. is scheduled to continue its
testing to Jan. 30, but could add more testing dates if necessary, according
to paperwork prepared by the private firm.
The lab will inspect pipes, pumps, meters and pieces of a pipe fitting
that connects the outdoor and indoor gas lines.
That fitting, a "posilock transition fitting," was named in a
lawsuit filed by the girls' family in October 2002 in Middlesex Superior
Court. The lawsuit claims the posilock fitting caused the explosion when it
broke or was tampered with, sending great amounts of gas into the building.
State officials have said a gas leak may have triggered the July 24 blast
that killed Iris and Violet Carey, ages 4 and 5, in their parents' bed. The
girls' parents, Heath and Tara Carey, suffered minor injuries.
Experts hired by the Carey family will oversee much of the testing, along
with representatives from the state fire marshal's office, state Department
of Telecommunications (DTE) and NStar, officials said.
The state fire marshal's office is heading the investigation into the
explosion but working jointly with DTE, which regulates utilities in the
state.
"We're continuing to work together," fire marshal spokeswoman
Jennifer Mieth said. "We both have considerable interest in protecting
public safety."
John Wozniak, a Mendon attorney representing the Careys, declined to
comment.
Tests on the evidence will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from
Tuesday to Thursday, according to a lab memo obtained by The News.
The tests may destroy all or part of several pieces of evidence and are
scheduled to include inspection of the posilock fitting with a microscope,
checking pipes for leaks, and determining how much pressure a regulator
could take, according to lab documents.
In one test, experts will modify posilock fittings taken from other homes
to match the fitting taken from 65 Main St. The fittings will then be tested
for leaks.
DTE spokesman Rob Wilson said it's hard to predict when investigators
will determine the official cause of the deadly explosion.
"We're working as fast as we can," he said. "These things
sometimes take a couple of months to a couple of years."
