Environmental Group Finds “Biggest Gas Leak” to Date in Providence
Thursday, November 14, 2019
An environmental group said this week they found the “biggest gas leak” to date in their ongoing monitoring across Rhode Island.
The gas leak was detected in the Washington Park section of Providence.
Subsequent to the finding, National Grid was made aware — and are monitoring the leak — but neighbors are voicing concerns.
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They said it was the "biggest leak they've found to date" in their monitoring.
“Our crews responded promptly, assessed the severity of the leak and will continue to monitor it until future repairs can be completed,” said Ted Kresse with National Grid.
“Eliminating gas leaks is a top priority for us. Over the past ten years we have replaced 445 miles of leak prone pipe across Rhode Island, investing well over $400 million towards that effort,” said Kresse. “This year we intend to replace another 61 miles of leak prone pipe. Over the last decade, new leak receipts have dropped significantly speaking to the effectiveness of these efforts."
“As for the odor some may have noticed, we add a sulfur-smelling chemical called mercaptan to our natural gas to help the public recognize a leak immediately. Natural gas is naturally tasteless, colorless, and odorless,” he added. “Customers are often the first line of defense when it comes to gas leak detection. We encourage all Rhode Islanders if they smell gas anywhere, including your home, they should go outside and call 911 or our natural gas emergency number at 1-800-640-1595 immediately.”
Group — and Neighbors — Have Concerns
Resident Lisa Gibb said that neighbors are concerned.
“Lots of chatter [Monday] on Nextdoor Edgewood about a noxious smell throughout the whole area. This is not cool,” said Gibb. “It’s definitely a concern here.”
Gasbusters explained their particular concerns with gas leaks.
“Overall our state loses about 2.7% of all the fracked gas that passes through our pipelines via leaks. We pay for a bunch of that lost gas — part of the reason why our gas bill is so costly,” the group wrote. “We’re going to pay a lot more as this methane locks us into more and more planetary warming which means worse storms, sea level rise, extreme heat waves.”
“It’s definitely a public health issue - fracked gas contains nasty chemicals that add to the cumulative load of toxins we’re exposed to from the air, soil and water,” they added. “And the methane pouring out of that hole is contributing to an ever-thickening heating blanket around our planet, which is already wreaking havoc on our climate - and we’re only at the beginning of experiencing the impacts.”
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