Natural Gas
Safety Information

  24 Hour Emergency Line: 1 (888) 609-9858

Detecting a Leak

Natural gas leaks can happen anywhere.

A natural gas leak can impact you, even if you don’t have natural gas service at your home or business. It’s possible for natural gas to migrate into neighboring buildings, including those without natural gas service, so leaks from nearby facilities and/or pipelines could affect you. Natural gas leaks can be handled quickly and easily if you know what to look for and what to do if you find one.

Know the 3 R’s of Gas Safety: RECOGNIZE, REACT, & REPORT

1. RECOGNIZE
Signs of a Natural Gas Leak

Indoors

Smell: A distinctive odor similar to rotten eggs
See: Pilot flame burning abnormally high
Hear: Unusual noises coming from appliance(s)

Outdoors

Smell: A distinctive odor similar to rotten eggs
See: A cloud/mist, bubbles in standing water, blowing debris or dead/dying vegetation
Hear: A roaring, hissing or whistling sound

2. REACT
If You Suspect a Natural Gas Leak:

  • Leave your home IMMEDIATELY
  • Warn others to stay away
  • From a safe location, away from the suspected leak, call 911, then call YCNGA at (866) 201-1001

3. REPORT
A Suspected Gas Leak

  24 Hour Emergency Line: 1 (888) 609-9858

When you smell gas or suspect a gas leak IMMEDIATELY leave your home and call our dedicated emergency line from a cell phone or a neighbor’s phone. We respond to suspected gas leaks at no charge.

If You Suspect a Natural Gas Leak:

DO NOT

Try and operate any natural gas valves.

DO NOT

Use light switches, garage door openers, doorbells, phones or any electrical appliances that could spark and ignite the gas.

DO NOT

Light a match, candle or cigarette.

Natural gas is a clean and efficient fuel that helps heat your home, warm your shower, cook your food, dry your clothes, fire up your grill and even fuel your car. It is a domestic and abundant source of fuel and is safe when used with proper care. Natural gas is one of the safest, most efficient and reliable forms of energy available. But, like any energy source, natural gas must be used properly.

GENERAL SAFETY
Properties of Natural Gas

In its natural state, natural gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. Composed primarily of methane gas, natural gas is lighter than air and burns cleanly. It is lighter than air, so if released rises to the atmosphere.

MERCAPTAN
What is it?

Since natural gas is colorless and odorless, an odorant called mercaptan is added to aide in leak detection. The great advantage of mercaptan as an additive is that it can be detected by most people in extremely small quantities, less than one part per million. Mercaptan contains sulfur and many people describe the odor as similar to rotten eggs or a burnt match.

Odor Fade

For your protection, an odorant is added to give natural gas a distinctive smell so leaks can be more readily detected. However, you should not rely on your sense of smell alone to determine if you have a gas leak.

Olfactory fatigue or a diminished sense of smell in addition to other physical conditions including the common cold may lessen your ability to smell the odorant in natural gas.

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About
Natural Gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon composed primarily of methane (CH4), which is principally found in underground formations of porous rock. The natural gas used in the United States primarily comes from North America.

Natural gas contains no toxic poisonous ingredients that can be absorbed into the blood when inhaled.

It is the cleanest burning conventional fuel, producing 45 percent less carbon dioxide than coal.

It is the cleanest-burning fossil fuel available, producing 45% less CO2 than coal. It helps improve air and water quality, especially when used in place of more polluting energy sources. When natural gas burns, virtually no harmful pollutants are produced.

Generally, if natural gas is accidentally released, it will rise and vent harmlessly into the atmosphere, dissipating from the site of a leak. Proper ventilation is important when using natural gas appliances. If natural gas collects in a confined space, it can accidentally ignite or displace oxygen.

When mixed with the proper amount of air and ignited, natural gas burns with a clean, blue flame. It is one of the cleanest burning fuels, producing primarily heat, carbon dioxide and water vapor.

When taken from the ground, natural gas is odorless. An odorant called mercaptan is added, making leaks easy to detect – creating the distinctive “rotten egg” smell or burnt match. If you suspect a leak, leave the area, get to a safe place and call 1-866-201-1001 or 911.

Natural gas has a very high ignition temperature and will only ignite when there is an air-and-gas mixture of between 5-15% natural gas. These factors make accidental ignition or combustion unlikely. Stringent safety standards govern the exploration, production, transportation, distribution and use of natural gas. North America’s continental natural pipeline system is the safest mode of energy transportation in the world today.

Ignition Temperatures

Natural Gas 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit

Propane 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit

Gasoline 600 degrees Fahrenheit

Nearly all the natural gas consumed in North America (98%) is produced in the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that, at current production rates, the U.S. has nearly a 60-year supply of natural gas. Discoveries of new reserves in unconventional rock formations like shale, tight sands and coal seams have expanded our supply to well beyond 100 years.

While the number of natural gas residential customers in North America has grown by 70% over the last 40 years, customers today actually use nearly 40% less natural gas. Greater efficiency in production, delivery and usage means fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

It generates electricity, runs our manufacturing plants, provides raw material for a range of products, heats and cools our homes and fuels transportation.

Natural gas is energy we can count on, day in and day out. Whether the sun is shining or the wind’s blowing, plentiful supplies of natural gas are available for immediate dispatch, via an existing interconnected, efficient and highly reliable delivery system. Many natural gas appliances continue to work, even when the power’s out.

Pipeline
Safety

From fueling our cars to heating our homes, natural gas and oil are part of everyday American life. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport these products across our nation. It is important for individuals living or working near pipelines to recognize pipeline locations in their area, be alert for unauthorized activity or abnormal conditions near pipelines, and know how to react in the unlikely event of a pipeline leak or emergency.

Pipeline
Safety

From fueling our cars to heating our homes, natural gas and oil are part of everyday American life. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport these products across our nation. It is important for individuals living or working near pipelines to recognize pipeline locations in their area, be alert for unauthorized activity or abnormal conditions near pipelines, and know how to react in the unlikely event of a pipeline leak or emergency.

IDENTIFYING PIPELINES
How to Identify Underground Natural Gas Pipelines

Natural gas pipelines are generally located along roadways, private property and in corridors or rights-of-ways. . Markers are placed at regular intervals, where needed, to indicate the presence of a pipeline. These yellow markers are visible where pipelines intersect streets, railroads, streams or rivers, and in heavily congested areas.

Pipeline markers are important to your safety. It’s a federal crime to willfully deface, damage, remove or destroy any pipeline sign or right-of-way marker.

PIPELINE
Right-of-Way

A pipeline right-of-way is a strip of land over and around a pipeline where some of the property owner’s legal rights have been granted to the pipeline company for inspection, repair and maintenance of the pipeline.

A right-of-way, or easement, agreement provides a permanent, limited interest in the land that enables the pipeline company to operate, test, inspect, repair, maintain, replace and protect the pipeline on the property owned by others. Generally the pipeline company’s rights-of-ways extend 25 feet from each side of a pipeline unless special conditions exist. Right-of-ways must be accessible at all times to company personnel.

Keep it Clear

Any object that hinders a right-of-way is an ‘encroachment’ and may be removed from a right-of-way without compensation or replacement. Refrain from placing any objects including, but not limited to, fences, sheds, locks, structures, ponds, pools, paths, trees, shrubs, etc., on a pipeline right-of-way.

Damage
to a Pipeline

Leaking gas from any damaged pipeline or gas meter could cause a fire, explosion, property damage and serious bodily injury. Damage to a pipeline can include a gouge, dent, nick, scratch, puncture or even contact with the marking tape and should be reported immediately.

If you or a contractor should accidentally come into contact with a gas pipeline or even the marker tape or tracer wire, please take IMMEDIATE action to protect the public and property, then call PEG at 1-888-609-9858 who will dispatch qualified personnel. Take action to minimize hazards and cease all activity in the immediate area of the damaged utility until authorized by PEG.

DO NOT

Light a match, candle or cigarette.

DO NOT

Start an engine or use any device, including a telephone, which could cause a spark.

DO NOT

Turn electrical devices on or off, including light switches.

  • Safely abandon any motorized or powered equipment or vehicles. DO NOT use or turn off any equipment that could cause a spark. Motorized or electrically powered equipment or vehicles may create an ignition source if a gas leak is present. Gas leaking from a plastic pipe can create static electricity that can ignite the gas.
  • IMMEDIATELY EVACUATE the area, and from a safe location, call PEG 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1 (888) 609-9858
  • CALL 911 promptly after evacuating the area if the damage results in a natural gas leak that may endanger life or cause bodily harm or property damage.
  • DO NOT attempt to control the leak or repair the damaged pipe or meter.
  • Leaking natural gas can migrate underground. Avoid parking emergency vehicles on or near manhole covers or storm drains.

Even if you do not suspect a leak, but you suspect damage to the pipeline, you should call PEG at 1 (888) 609-9858, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Patriots Energy Group Pipeline is operated in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation safety requirements by qualified professionals. Our pipelines are monitored 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. In addition, we perform aerial and ground patrols, internal pipeline inspections, corrosion controls and leak surveys. Pipelines continue to be one of the most reliable and safest modes of transportation in the United States.

For more information on pipelines go to: National Pipeline Mapping System.