Natural Gas Leak Blamed on Older Equipment

The natural gas leak that shut down a section of Park Avenue over the weekend is now blamed on an older-style gas line. Ten people were evacuated from a home late Saturday night after reporting a “gas odor.” Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania says emergency crews located a gas leak in a line running under the street.

Park Avenue was closed for several hours while workers dug up the street. Electrical power to the home was also turned off while repairs were underway.

Russ Bedell, a Columbia Gas spokesperson, says the leaking gas main was an older type called a “bare steel line”. Bare steel can corrode and that’s what happened in this case.

More modern gas lines are made out of coated steel or plastic and are less likely to fail.

Bedell isn’t sure how long ago this particular gas line was installed. But he adds that Columbia Gas is working hard to replace older equipment. “We’re spending $140 million dollars in Pennsylvania alone to replace lines like that.”