Residents Unhappy and Concerned About Pipeline Rupture
The evacuated residents are back in their homes, but they say they are concerned for their safety after the Rockies Express Pipeline gas leak.
"I was on my porch, heard it and then looked over toward the pumping station and saw a big cloud dust and gas blowing toward the house, Phil Crowders house. You could hear a constant noise it sounded like a jet taking off," tells resident Dan Wilson.
Residents who live near the compressor station say they were alarmed when they saw employees evacuating.
"I looked out my back window where I can see their driveway and I saw them going every which way as quickly as they could go. So I assumed there was a problem," tells Cheryl Crowder who lives right across the road from the compressor station.
These residents and around 50 more people were evacuated by the Harrison Township Fire Department by order of the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office. But they say they are not happy with the Rockies Express Pipeline.
"We were never notified by Kinder Morgan or any representative from the gas line that there was ever a problem," says Crowder.
Allen Fore, Director of Community Relations for the pipeline, says the company notified the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office to evacuate all houses within a half mile of the leak. Sheriff Matt Lutz confirms the company called the Sheriff’s Office and they dispatched several deputies and the Harrison Township Fire Department to evacuate residents. But these residents say they want a more immediate type of notification in case there is another gas leak.
"If they don’t want to come door to door that is fine, but we need to have some type of a warning system from this company that lets us know that there is a problem," tells Crowder.
Cheryl Crowder says the Rockies Express Pipeline has not contacted any of the residents about the leak and they say they still don’t know for sure if they are safe.
Allen Fore says he will discuss future safety measures for residents with the Muskingum County Sheriff.
Katie Jeffries
