OVERVIEW
There have been at least 4,000 natural gas leaks in Washington DC since 2016. A majority of the leaks have been the most hazardous kind as described under Federal guidelines and DC law.
- There is no evidence that Washington Gas has voluntarily informed the community about the number, nature, seriousness, or repair of any of the leaks.
- There have been some highly publicized deadly and destructive natural gas leaks around the country, such as the series of gas leaks and explosions last September in the Boston suburbs.
- In order to provide the public with confidence and peace of mind about what’ s happening under DC streets and sidewalks, Washington Gas Light or the DC government should provide full daily public disclosure about all natural gas leaks and repairs.
For more information, read my opinion piece in The Washington Post at this link: Washington Gas Is Tight-Lipped About Leaks.
How Gas Leaks are Classified and Prioritized
Natural gas leaks are labeled according to how serious they are. Grade 1 leaks present an immediate or probable hazard to persons or property, and require immediate repair or continuous action until the conditions are no longer hazardous; grade 2 leaks are recognized as being non-hazardous at the time of detection, but require scheduled repair based on probable future hazard; and grade 3 leaks are non-hazardous at the time of detection and can be reasonably expected to remain non-hazardous.
About this Website
This site is resource for information and updates about the urgent public safety issue of Washington’s gas leaks. I launched the site after a series of gas leaks in my neighborhood, seeing news reports about the deadly gas pipeline fires and explosions in the Boston suburbs last September, and my continued frustration with the gas company and their failure to keep my community posted about local natural gas leaks and repairs.
Edward Segal
February 8, 2020
DC Gas Leaks 