Earthquake Could Cause Gas Leaks

Susan Phillips

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Susan Phillips tells stories about the consequences of political decisions on people's every day lives. She has worked as a reporter for WHYY since 2004. Susan's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election resulted in a story on the front page of the New York Times. In 2010 she traveled to Haiti to cover the earthquake. That same year she produced an award-winning series on Pennsylvania's natural gas rush called "The Shale Game." She received a 2013 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Award for her work covering natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. She has also won several Edward R. Murrow awards for her work with StateImpact. In 2013/14 she spent a year at MIT as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow. She has also been a Metcalf Fellow, an MBL Logan Science Journalism Fellow and reported from Marrakech on the 2016 climate talks as an International Reporting Project Fellow. A graduate of Columbia School of Journalism, she earned her Bachelor's degree in International Relations from George Washington University.

August 23, 2011 | 4:49 PM

The 5.9 earthquake centered near Richmond, Va., which struck the east coast this afternoon, could have damaged natural gas lines. Both the city of Philadelphia, and the state of Pennsylvania have issued warnings to residents to call 911 if they smell natural gas. Here’s more information from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission:

HARRISBURG – Following the earthquake felt throughout the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded residents that if they smell or hear natural gas leaking, they should call 911.
The PUC also is working with natural gas utilities throughout the state to monitor the safety of the system. The state’s natural gas utilities are checking their systems for leaks by using specialized equipment to conduct leak surveys while monitoring pressure changes on the system.
An additive makes natural gas smell like rotten eggs. Residents are reminded if they smell natural gas or hear a hissing or blowing sounds, they should:

EVACUATE THE HOUSE IMMEDIATELY.

DO NOT TURN YOUR LIGHTS ON OR OFF.

DO NOT CALL FROM YOUR HOME TELEPHONE LAND LINE OR FROM YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE STILL IN YOUR HOME.

ONCE YOU ARE A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE ODOR, CALL 911.