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Construction digging creates 2 gas leaks

Written by Ebony M. Moore

Wednesday, 16 July 2003 11:00 PM

Pipes shifting over time may have contributed to the accident, officials say.
Two gas leaks caused fire fighters to block off a segment of Cooper Street from UTA Boulevard to Division Street Tuesday afternoon.

An eight-inch gap in the major gas line that goes through the city was discovered at the corner of Cooper and Main streets, said Battalion Chief David Stapp of Arlington Fire Department. The second, smaller leak occurred at Cooper and Abram streets and was much easier to repair, he added.

The Arlington Fire Department evacuated several businesses in the area, including the Diamond Shamrock gas station at Cooper and Abram streets and the Parks and Recreation Building and Bobby Davis Bail Bonds at Cooper and Main streets.

Officials said the accident was caused by a road construction crew working on the street.

Workers were digging at the intersection of Cooper and Main streets when they cut the line for the first time, Stapp said. When it became impossible to work at the site due to the smell, they moved a block up the street, where they dug into the pipes again, he said.

Stapp said he did not know what company hired the construction workers or who made the report about the gas leaks.

Road maps distributed to the workers are not always accurate and can be up to 10 years old, said Lieutenant Randy Ingram, Arlington Fire Department public information officer. Ground tends to shift over the years and pipes are slowly displaced in one direction or another, he explained.

“Obviously, they don’t have X-ray vision — they have to assume that there’s nothing below them, so they just start digging,” he said.

Oncor Gas Company was in charge of the repair. Workers planned to expose the gas line, fit a clamp around and tighten it to stop the leak, Ingram said. They will come back later to mend the hole in the pipe.

The line runs through the major parts of the city, providing gas to a number of businesses and households, he added, which is why the company does not want to shut it down. It would also take a long time to start the system back up — and that is too much work, he said.

“Oncor has no idea how long it’s going to take,” Stapp said. “We have crews who are monitoring the surrounding area for accumulation of gas using gas monitors.”

Stapp said the major issue facing repair crews is heat. The firemen have to be rotated every few minutes because they are wearing full fire gear, he explained. Hot weather, however, will not affect the gas, he added.

Sergeant Richard Grimmett of the Arlington Police Department said traffic is usually light for the intersections, so no major road problems are expected.

“Everything is pretty well-contained right now, and the repair crew is doing their job. [Oncor] does it all the time — they’re very professional,” he said. “But if they cause a spark while they’re trying to repair it, it can be catastrophic.”
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