Feb 25, 2009 6:58 pm US/Eastern
Gas Line Repairs Begin 5 Years Into Odor Reports
PEABODY (WBZ) ―
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Kristine Aletras, who lives at the corner of Scott Drive and Terri Road, says National Grid had responded to the complaints about the odor of gas but had not fixed the problem.
WBZ
Two neighborhoods in Peabody say they've reported the odor of gas outside their homes for about five years. While one of them is still waiting for a leaking gas line to be fixed, National Grid has finally sent repair crews to the other.
"I think it's kind of scary," says Kristine Aletras, who lives at the corner of Scott Drive and Terri Road.
She says until repair equipment showed up Wednesday afternoon, National Grid had responded to the complaints about the odor of gas but had not fixed the problem.
"They do a lot of testing. They'll drive by with the sniffers on their vehicle and tell us that it's not a priority," Aletras said.
Wednesday afternoon, National Grid spokesman David Graves said the gas line replacement project scheduled for Spring in Aletras's neighborhood has been prioritized so it will start Thursday and run through March 20.
"Now that other people are having problems in their neighborhoods with
homes exploding and everything, they've decided to finally do something about it," says Aletras.
Over on Judith Rd., Tom Durant told a similar story.
"I've lived here, it'll be five years July. We've had it off and on, the smell, since then," says Durant.
Graves said the smell outside Durant's home is from a "grade 3 leak," which is not considered dangerous. He says natural gas is overloaded with mercaptan, to give it an odor, but that you can smell it even if the percentage of gas in the air is safely below its ignition point.
Graves says the leak outside Durant's house will be "worked into a construction schedule for repairs" but no date has been set as one has for the Scott Drive neighborhood.
"I'm glad that they're going to take care of the problem now," says Aletras.
On its
Web site, National Grid says if you're inside and smell gas, leave the building immediately, don't use the phone or any electrical appliances until safely outside, then report the odor.
Read:
What To Do If You Smell Natural Gas Near Your Home
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Explainer: How Natural Gas Gets Into Your Home
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