Community Corner

Natural Gas Leaks Turn Into Neighborhood Nuisance

Beck Road Grade-2 natural gas leak creating a stink for neighbors.

Beck Road resident Leah Gercak has noticed a big change in her little dog, and she doesn’t think it’s a good thing.

“He used to be very boisterous, running around,” Gercak said when her dog, Sarge, was outside. "Now he seems very lethargic.”

Gercak thinks she knows the reason: A Grade-2 gas leak in front of her house.

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“For quite awhile I’ve been smelling gas,” she said. “Other people have smelled it also.”

Gercak contacted Columbia Gas on June 30. A representative came out to investigate and told her there was a Grade-2 gas leak running from under the street in front of her house across the street. Gas workers marked the area with orange arrows and left.

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“They told me there’s a lot of (outdoor leaks) in Avon Lake, and it could take up to 18 months before they get to it,” Gercak said. “When you call and tell them you smell gas in your house, they scare the heck out of you, tell you to get out. This, they said, could take months to fix.”

Last week, the smell was so bad Gercak's neighbor across the street, Laura Dicus, came out, smelled the gas and immediately went back inside. Standing in the street between Dicus and Gercak’s neatly manicured homes, it’s easy to understand why. The gas smell is significant and if not dangerous, certainly a nuisance. Both women said the smell has gotten worse over the past few months.

“I’m having a party this weekend,” Dicus said. “This is what my guests are going to have to smell.”

Dicus said she too contacted the gas company June 30 and was told there was an 18-month wait before Columbia Gas would get to the repair.

Is there a danger?

Grade-2 gas leaks, unlike Grade 1, are not considered an immediate threat by the gas company or the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). They are treated as a lower priority and put in a repair queue with the gas company.

Generally, inhaling natural gas in the open is not considered dangerous, however, in a contained area, a concentration of natural gas could lead to an explosion and is considered an immediate and life-threatening situation.

PUCO spokesperson Matt Butler said an outdoor Grade-2 leak was not an immediate hazard.

“Natural gas itself is non-toxic,” he said, saying suffocation could result if gas replaced the air indoors.

Still, there’s a time frame for repairing leaks.

“They have to repair it in 15 months,” Butler said.

Some sources indicated inhaling high concentrations can lead to dizziness, fatigue and nauseau, as stated in this article on the National Institute of Health's website.

Leaks aren't reported to fire department

Lt. Chris Huerner said natural gas supplied to homes is easy to smell. Mercaptan, which gives natural gas the "rotten egg" odor, is added to gas used for utilities, so in the event of a leak, it can be easily detected.  

“A lot of times you can easily smell it, even in small amounts,” Huerner said.

Huerner said he is aware of several Grade-2 gas leaks in Avon Lake.

 “If it’s a low enough level they put it in the queue to repair,” he said. “There’s a couple I know about personally. They don’t give (the fire department) a list.”

Huerner said a representative from the fire department would go to Beck to take their own gas measurements.

Calls placed to Columbia Gas were not returned by deadline.


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