'I started to notice the faintest smell': Concerns mounting over gas leaks in townhome community - WTAE Pittsburgh

Concerns over gas leaks in Cecil Township townhome community

'I started to notice the faintest smell': Concerns mounting over gas leaks in townhome community

Columbia Gas employees drove up and down the residential block of McConnell Trails Wednesday night, as homeowners in the development continued to complain about smelling natural gas in their homes.

A Pittsburgh's Action News 4 crew observed employees going in and out homes, hours after we were contacted about residents' concerns.

"Columbia Gas is aware of the situation at McConnell Trails and is investigating the potential causes of the gas odor," a company spokesperson said in a statement to Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

Several neighbors told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that complaints about the smell of natural gas reached a community Facebook page earlier this week.

"It just kept snowballing, and now there’s a couple dozen [posts]," said Terry Scott, who lives in McConnell Trails and is an active participant in the Facebook group.

After combing through the posts, Scott said he reached out to Columbia Gas out of an abundance of caution.

An employee who responded to his house took readings outside at the meter. Nothing was detected. But when he walked down to the basement, a reading of the furnace made it clear Scott had an issue.

"He just said he had to red-tag me immediately, and I would have to contact an HVAC person to come out," Scott said.

The red tag had a message on the back of it in which the employee wrote, "Found gas leaking through control valve, escaping through burners. Leaking very minimally. Please make repairs before service to furnace."

As of late Wednesday night, Scott was waiting on an HVAC worker to obtain a specific part needed to fix the valve.

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 also spoke with Kenny Sukitch, who also had a gas leak in his basement.

"I started to notice just the faintest smell," Sukitch said, pointing to a cap that was apparently loose near his furnace.

Sukitch and Scott are among several homeowners who told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that they want answers from Ryan Homes, the builder of McConnell Trails. Requests for comment to Ryan Homes were not returned Wednesday night.

"I think it’s just Ryan Homes’ negligence," Sukitch argued, noting that the Columbia Gas employee who came to his house had said the issue resembled two calls he made that day.

Columbia Gas advises people who smell natural gas in their homes to stop what they are doing, leave the area immediately, and from a safe location, call 911 and Columbia Gas at 1-888-460-4332.