Thursday, May 29, 2008

THREAT OF EXPLOSION LESSENED

ELYRIA - Officials in Elyria are monitoring gasoline levels in the sewer system and are making repairs after two supply tanks at Gas USA sprung leaks.

In order to make repairs to the leaks, East Avenue was closed between 4th and 16th streets, and 9th street was closed between East and Middle.

Chief Joseph Pronesti of the Elyria Fire Department said officials were concerned of possible explosions in homes. "Our concern was the fumes getting into the basements and then the pilot light, furnace or hot water heaters setting off an explosion. We have been working with Columbia Gas as far as getting that shut off - the natural gas into the homes. Right now we are still trying to stop the leak."

Pronesti said that work crews have dug down seven feet around the tanks and they are attempting to construct a dam to prevent fuel from getting into the sewer system. Pronesti said that manhole covers have been removed to help ventilate the fumes. "Right now, the threat of any kind of hazard or explosion has gone down drastically because we have ventilated the sewers - the fumes are no longer building up in the system. As those fumes come out, the threat is lower." Pronesti said that Firefighters have responded to homes where residences have smelled gas odors, but the levels detected were not dangerous.

The investigation found that gasoline was leaking from two 400-gallon supply tanks at Gas USA, at 9th Street and Middle Avenue, into the sewer system. Officials said an estimated 200 gallons of gasoline leaked into the area around the tanks in the past 24 hours. As of Thursday evening, no homes have been evacuated. However, residents in the area of East Avenue and 4th through 9th streets were advised not to use gas appliances due to the potential present of gasoline vapors.

Pronesti said that the Fire Department will continuing to monitor the level of fumes in the sewers.

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let this incident be a sign that it's now time to shut down this gas station that is notorious for 12 year old crack dealers and drug addicts!

8:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I haven't seen this answered anywhere yet. Maybe you can help Terry. Where did the 200 gallons of gas end up? The Black River? The wastewater plant? Where is the EPA? Where is Chemtrec? So the explosion risk is gone, how much contamination is there? Environmental impact? I think GAS USA has seen the last dance. With the cleanup costs and EPA fines, they are probably done for.

Dave

8:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Glad to see TMC was righ on top of this Story NOT
LMAO

WoW the chronicle had you beat by almost 2 days on this one !!!!
And i am sure this will never make it to post, so GOOD JOB TMC !!!!!

2:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

to dave,

the gas leaked in to a old combo sewer(which is storm and sanitary). The gas will end up at the wastewater plant and not in the river. The EPA is on site and so is a chemical clean up crew.

4:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To the anonymous poster laughing that the CT beat TMCNEWS on this story.

Are you 9 years old? You sound like someone from lorain county dot com, please do us all a favor and go back there.

The CT "beating" TMCNEWS on this story was pretty easy seeing as how TMC is in Las Vegas this week. Besides, I didn't know they were in competition. Does TMCNEWS put out a paper? Nope. Not that it matters to you anyway. You just wanted to take a shot and you did so you can be happy.

As a long time fan of TMCNEWS and a Gold Card member, I suggest just getting rid of the comments section all together. They have turned into nothing more then people bickering. I take that back, there are some good comments but I think it has been taken over by the bad ones.

5:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Re: taking away the comments section.
I hope TMCNews will continue the comments section. The moderator has to right to refuse or remove any comments that are not proper or of an inflammatory nature (as they should). The comments section may be a spot for people to vent their feelings (such as the recent attack in the metroparks), but they also provide some additional information along with (occasionally) a humorous take on the story (guy poking stick at car in river). So, please keep your comments above board and related to the story and hopefully TMCNews will continue this service. Thanks to them for coverage of local news and events. They are not in competition with the local papers (that I know of), instead they provide a nice complementary source of information.
As to the gas station, this may very well be their last hurrah as they had apparently been cited for poor leak retention and new get to bear the full cost of the clean-up. Anonymous 8:10 a.m., unfortunately the drug dealers will only move down the street, not disappear totally if the station clses.

11:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Willy everyone here take shots at the chronicle all the time , what the matter you cant take it when someone shoots back. Wow seems i hit a sore spot. Waaa Waaa Waaaa !!!

5:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Glad to see TMC was righ on top of this Story NOT
LMAO

WoW the chronicle had you beat by almost 2 days on this one !!!!
And i am sure this will never make it to post, so GOOD JOB TMC !!!!!

2:29 PM

Anonymous said...
Willy everyone here take shots at the chronicle all the time , what the matter you cant take it when someone shoots back. Wow seems i hit a sore spot. Waaa Waaa Waaaa !!!

5:04 PM

Only thing I have a problem with the comment section is that the idiots don't need to post their name.

Obviously this joker doesn't understand the concept behind TMCNEWS.NET. Great job Terry with continuing your reporting even while on vacation. Now get your butt back here and get my pictures added to the bike run article. LOL

Pete "The Meat" Avon

9:18 AM  

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