Crime & Safety

Bay Campus Evacuated After Gas Leak

After contractors hit a gas main with a backhoe at the EPA, ironically, the Bay Campus was evacuated for about 90 minutes.

At 11:58 a.m., the Narragansett Fire Department responded to a gas leak at the United States Environmental Protection Agency Lab on Tarzwell Drive.  

The leak was a result of contractors working at the scene and hitting a four-inch gas main with a backhoe. The surrounding areas were evacuated – the EPA Lab and surrounding buildings, the NOAA facility, the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, and the neighborhood of West Passage to the north of the EPA lab.

At 1:25 p.m., the gas leak had been secured and everyone was allowed back into the area with the exception of the EPA Lab.  The workers in the EPA lab were allowed back into the building around 2:30 p.m.

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Narragansett Police, URI Police and the North Kingstown Fire Department assisted in the evacuation of the surrounding areas.

Capt. David Arnold

Find out what's happening in Narragansett-South Kingstownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Narragansett Fire Department

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