Nov 8, 2022 3 min read

South Strabane Township Department of Fire and Emergency Management and the Washington County Department of Public Safety on Sunday partnered to meter 42 homes on Scout Drive after a confirmed methane leak in two homes on the street last week.

The fire department said no additional homes have tested positive for methane gas.

“(The tests conducted on Sunday) were taken as a precaution to determine the scope of the methane release in this area and to provide peace of mind to our residents and public safety officials,” a press release from the fire department said.

According to South Strabane Fire Chief Jordan Cramer, officials from the fire department, Department of Public Safety, Columbia Gas, and Range Resources arrived in the neighborhood around 9:30 a.m., and by 1 p.m. all of the homes had been tested.

Columbia Gas notified the fire department and the state Department of Environmental Protection on Friday that combustible gas had been detected at the two homes on Scout Drive during routine survey work.

The DEP visited the site on Friday, Saturday, and again on Monday afternoon as part of its continuing investigation.

According to the DEP, the highest sustained indoor ambient air readings were approximately 1% or less of the lower explosive limit (LEL), which is the concentration of gas or vapors in air which will explode when ignited.

DEP said it may recommend a building be vacated if it detects combustible gas atmospheres that are equal to or greater than 10% LEL.

“DEP considers this an active stray gas investigation as it works to determine a source of the gas and monitor the situation,” said Loren Camarda, DEP Community Relations Coordinator, in an email.

Columbia Gas said it found no leaks or other issues with its facilities or with the customers’ facilities.

Cramer said Columbia Gas sent samples for testing, which are believed to include low levels of methane, a colorless, odorless, potentially explosive gas.

The gas company also said initial test results show that the gas is different in composition from the gas properties that run through its natural gas distribution pipeline.

“Right now, we don’t know the source of the gas and we’re not ruling anything out,” said Cramer. “There are mines and well shafts from many years ago that have been capped off.”

Cramer said methane/explosive gas detectors have been installed in the two homes.

Monitoring of gas readings is continuing.

If customers smell natural gas, which has an odor similar to that of a rotten egg, DEP and Columbia Gas said they should stop what they are doing, leave the area immediately, and from a safe location call 911 and Columbia Gas at 1-888-460-4332, and wait for crews to arrive.