[Press Release] : Early morning gas leak closes areas of downtown to traffic and causes evacuations

[pr-l at news.gocolumbiamo.com]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Battalion Chief Steven Sapp - (573) 874-7557

Early morning gas leak closes areas of downtown to traffic and causes
evacuations

COLUMBIA, MO (March 27, 2006) -- Columbia firefighters responded to a
report of a gas leak near the area of 9th Street and Cherry Street at
4:46 a.m. on Monday, March 27. Initial reports indicated that a delivery
driver for McLane Food Services, Randy A. Jackson, 47, of Independence,
Mo., had struck a gas line in the alley which runs north and south,
south of Cherry, between the Niedermeyer Apartments and the old Hall
Theater building. 

Firefighters arrived to find a 2-inch gas line, which serves the
apartment complex, had been damaged when the truck struck it while
navigating the alley to make a delivery and natural gas was leaking from
the line. With the high humidity because of the morning rain and low
wind speeds, the natural gas was not being dissipated very rapidly. 

Firefighters took readings with monitors and determined that the level
of natural gas was reaching limits which necessitated the evacuation of
the Niedermeyer Apartments at 920 Cherry Street. About 25 occupants of
the apartments were forced to leave their building and were provided
shelter in the Columbia Fire Departments "Bus 7". Bus 7 is a 32
passenger bus assigned for these types of emergencies to house citizens
and firefighters out of the elements. Employees of Panera Bread were
also asked to leave their business while firefighters checked the levels
of gas in the building. This building was clear and employees were
allowed to return after about 30 minutes. 

Crews from AmerenUE shut off the gas around 6 am and began to affect
repairs to the gas line that was damaged. The gas line served the
Niedermeyer Apartments and that building is the only building without
natural gas until repairs are completed later this morning.

In addition, a six square block area, including two blocks of Broadway
were closed to vehicle traffic. The occupants of the apartments were
allowed to return to their building around 6 a.m. There were no injuries
to the public or to firefighters during this incident. 

- 30 -
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