Crew ruptures gas line in Hermitage

HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Authorities said a work crew preparing a site for drilling a gas well in the 2700 block of Highland Road caused some anxious moments when it ruptured a 4-inch gas line.
Firefighters from Hermitage Fire Department quickly blocked off the area while authorities evacuated the nearby Chalet Apartments on the south side of Highland Road around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Robert Goeltz, city fire marshal, said the well site was 50 feet behind the apartment complex, and the crew apparently didn't know there was a gas line running through that area.
The line was ruptured as the work crew was digging a brine pit, Goeltz said. The danger of an explosion prompted authorities to evacuate the apartment complex, he said.
An emergency repair crew from National Fuel Gas was called to the scene and had to dig up another section of the gas line to shut off the flow before repairs could be made.
Fire crews left the scene shortly after 3 p.m. and gas was restored in the early evening hours.