Drilling Contractors Strike High-Pressure Gas Line in the Leetsdale Industrial Park

Leetsdale firefighters were called Tuesday afternoon to the Leetsdale Industrial Park after a contractor performing drilling work in the park struck a high-pressure natural gas line.

The incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m., when a Pittsburgh-based GEO Environmental Drilling Inc. crew struck the line near Building 601 in the complex.

assisted with and , who blocked off one of the park's main access routes until the gas line could be shut off.

Crews were having problems getting the gas shut down initially and were considering the evacuation of nearby buildings until a main valve for the park was completely shut off, according to emergency officials.

said "it took four valves" until the flow of gas was stopped. He said that a large portion of the park was without gas service until Columbia Gas could repair the break.

Tony Rosenberger of Chapman Properties, which manages the industrial park, said the drilling contractor had complied with all regulations pertaining to locating buried utility lines using the Pennsylvania One Call system.

Logan said high-pressure natural gas service is common across the industrial park area and that the drilling crew was working where PA One Call indicated it was safe to drill.

Representatives of GEO Environmental Drilling did not return calls requesting comment.

According to Rosenberger, the drilling company has been contracted to obtain core samples for testing the soil and groundwater, to meet state environmental reporting requirements for reclaimed industrial sites.

The industrial park is on the site of a former Bethlehem Steel Co. plant, which closed in the late 1970s.