JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Energy companies and fire departments in the Jackson area say they received hundreds of calls Monday morning when an excess of a protective chemical in natural gas lines made people think gas was leaking in their homes.
Officials of Atmos Energy and Centerpoint Energy said company crews responded to the calls and found no leaks.
The Clarion-Ledger reported (https://on.thec-l.com/1tWKeqw) Casey Elementary School in Jackson and Ann Smith Elementary in Ridgeland were briefly evacuated as precautions while authorities checked out the lines. Classes resumed after energy companies declared the buildings safe.
Atmos said the problem was too much of the chemical Mercaptan placed in gas lines. Mercaptan is put into the lines to provide a distinctive smell that warns of a possible leak. Atmos officials said the company’s supplier apparently put too much into the mix.
Company spokesman Robert Lesley said most of the reports likely came after the chemical-laced gas came through pilot lights or other gas lines. The chemical is not dangerous, he said.
Centerpoint Energy said it received calls from Ridgeland and Madison, mostly along the Interstate 55 corridor.
A spokeswoman said the company found no leaks.
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Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, https://www.clarionledger.com
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