The NTSB reports reveal unambiguous failures by the company that you run that contributed to this tragedy.

We expect honest and thorough answers from the company.

If the customers don't come in for the past month and a half because either the business was entirely shuttered or because they couldn't get there because the streets were torn up... they're going to have depleted cash-flow which really…

It's hard enough to run a small business but these folks are now being asked to take on two jobs, run a small business and run a claims prosecution against an insurance company that doesn't want to pay.

And so you're saying that you didn't realize that you were going to blow your deadline until October 22? That's when you made the announcement?

Can I ask you a couple more about this, and that is, cash flow for these small businesses? Has money been forthcoming?

So they haven't told you yet then if they're going to--they've not committed to reimburse you for the time that your business was less than it otherwise would have been if this disaster hadn't occurred?

So how deep were you into this before you realized--I mean, I can do the math here, that 90 percent of these homes you're not going to be able to fix this problem with space heaters.

So there was always this dueling thing of what check is going to hit for them first and then will Columbia Gas pay the subsequent issue after.

Mr. Chairman, does that mean people can still submit stories?

I want to drill down just a little bit on small businesses.

I'm concerned that these events culminating in the deadly explosion three months ago expose a corporate culture that isn't adequately focused on safety.

We're here to say to everyone in the Merrimack Valley we will keep fighting for you.

What I'm hearing you say is there's no commitment on the part of Columbia Gas.

So did you not take any input from the local fire chiefs on this when you put together your plan to buy 24,000 space heaters and distribute them?

The most important thing is not just that we find out what happens. The most important thing is that we make changes so that it doesn't happen again.

What we're asking for is some accountability in the recovery efforts.

You said we can meet this. Now you've already proven you're not very good at this because you've already missed by a month.

People need heat and I understand this. We just had the coldest Thanksgiving in 80 years.

So why did it take 13 days from the day that you announced the November 19 deadline, you announced that on October 9 to October 22 before you announced the delayed date for restoration?

This industry has proven that safety is not its top priority.

You're the ones who have the money. You're the ones who have the resources.

Have you urged National Grid to reach an agreement with its workers so that you could call on mutual aid and get those people to work here in Lawrence and Andover and North Andover?

what happened in the Merrimack Valley is horrible, plain and simple.

Our constituents deserve answers from Columbia Gas and NiSource.