BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HEBRON -- A Boone County natural gas leak forced the evacuation of dozens of residents and businesses Saturday afternoon.
Construction crews are blamed for rupturing a 24-inch diameter transmission line near the CirclePort business park about 2 p.m. Though the leak was first reported as an explosion, there was no evidence of any blast, said Michael Giordano, Point Pleasant fire chief.
"We were very fortunate," he said.
The size of the gas leak along with the number of businesses and homes nearby raised safety concerns and prompted the evacuation of residents and workers within a mile for several hours, he said. Construction crews were clearing space for a new building off Olympic Boulevard near Mineola Pike, when the line was apparently struck, Chief Giordano said. There were no injuries caused by the leak and the following evacuation.
The large transmission line moves gas at high pressure, so it made a lot of noise while spewing from the rupture.
"It sounded like a jet engine," Chief Giordano said.
About two dozen homes were evacuated as well as a dozen businesses, including Toyota's North American manufacturing headquarters, Chief Giordano said. Several area roads also were closed, snarling traffic near Mineola Pike. Authorities said traffic on Interstate 275 was disrupted for a short time.
The gas line was shut off and drained. Firefighters and Cinergy crews inspected the area to make sure there was no chance of an explosion, Chief Giordano said. The road was reopened, and evacuees were allowed to return by about 5 p.m.
Service to about 40 Cinergy customers was interrupted by the leak, said Kathy Meinke, spokeswoman for the utility firm. Crews anticipated reconnecting service to those customers by late Saturday night.
