Contractors Hit Gas Lines Twice In Rockland; Fixed Without Problems

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Contractors struck gas mains twice in Rockland this week, but unlike on the east side of the Hudson River a week ago, nothing exploded and no one was injured.

The first incident happened Monday on Conway Court in New City.

A contractor working for O&R hit a natural gas service line (the plastic pipe that runs from a gas main in a street to an individual house) affecting one customer on Conway Court.

The incident was reported to O&R at 9:16 a.m. A crew arrived at the scene at 9:30 a.m. and made the damage site safe at 9:45 a.m. Hillcrest Fire Department responded. New Hempstead Road was closed for a short time in both directions in the area, Rockland Fires reported on Facebook.

O&R dispatched a gas construction crew to the site at 9:41 a.m. The crew arrived at the site and made the necessary repairs. There were no injuries.

The second took place Tuesday on Northbrook Road in Spring Valley.

A private contractor hit a 2-inch plastic natural gas service main in front of 22 Northbrook Drive, affecting 11 customers.

The incident was reported to O&R at 11:06 a.m. The crew arrived at the scene at 11:13 a.m. to find gas blowing into the air from a cut at the main in the street. The crew shut the gas to the main off and made the damage site safe by 12:51 p.m. The local fire department also was on the scene. O&R gas construction crews arrived on the scene to begin repair work.

Once the repairs were completed at 4:30 p.m., gas was restored to the main and service restoration began to the 11 homes that O&R had shut the gas off to for safety until repairs were made. There were no injuries.

The devastating house explosion in Wappingers Falls Nov. 2 injured 15 people, five of them firefighters.

A spokesman for Central Hudson said, while the incident is still being investigated, it appeared that a contractor doing routine maintenance on gas mains and service lines struck a 3/4-inch service line. Notice of a gas leak was called into Dutchess County 911 around 12:14 p.m. A multi-unit building exploded two minutes later, catching fire and trapping people in the rubble.