A maintenance mishap is being blamed for a natural gas leak on Friday, July 5 on Niagara Stone Road just outside Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake that sent rotten-egg-smelling fumes into the air for about three hours.

Just before noon, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire Department received a call that gas had been released after a riser pipe had been damaged at the Niagara Stone sewage pump station.

“This happens quite often,” said NOTL deputy fire chief Darren Trostenko.

“Accidents happen. Not just in Niagara-on-the-Lake, but everywhere responds to gas lines that have been hit by various means.”

When fire officials arrived, the invisible vapour was spewing from the pipe with a loud and distinct hissing sound.

A repair crew from Enbridge, the gas utility company, was already on-site.

The commotion of emergency and company vehicles disrupted traffic but there was no major road closure as emergency vehicles and officials’ trucks line both sides of the road.

Trostenko said the public was never at risk.

“We go to these calls to ensure that there are no immediate threats to houses or people and that was the case in this one,” he said. 

“The gas dissipates when it is in the air,” he added. “It is better when it is outside rather than in a building. So it being outside is safer.”

Robert Toscani, who lives immediately east of the pump station at 1984 Niagara Stone Rd., said he never smelled the gas and, as a result, was unaware the leak had ever occurred. 

He never felt in danger.

“I have been inside all day,” he said. “I haven’t noticed anything. Obviously they are on it.”

By 3 p.m., Enbridge had the leak contained.

“Once they had the excavation done and what they call ‘pinched the line,’ they cleared the fire department,” said Trostenko.