Two of Three New Natural Gas Leaks Found in Shoreline

If you were driving around the eastside of Shoreline today you might have seen Puget Sound Energy crews working on natural gas lines as a result of yesterday’s explosion that injured a couple in North Seattle.

A five-mile radius was explored by survey crews Monday and by late yesterday afternoon and evening three new leaks were found via the sense of smell, Puget Sound Energy spokeswoman Martha Monfried confirmed.

Two of the leaks were found in Shoreline several miles north of the site of yesterday’s explosion at 12327 Fifth Ave. N.E. in Seattle.

The leaks were as follows:

• A service line to a gas customer at 15816 Fifth Avenue Northeast in Shoreline.

• A gas main at 351 Northeast 149th Street in Shoreline.

•A gas main connected to a service line at 12823 First Avenue Northeast in Seattle.

There is no immediate danger, but Monfried said the utility is “being extra cautious.”

PSE assigned crews to dig up the pipes this morning and they were still working this afternoon in Shoreline. The pipe on 149th St. is 1 1/4-inch wrapped steel main and the pipe on Fifth Avenue is a ½ to 3/4 –inch wrapped steel service, Monfried said.

“We’re taking the pipe out of the ground and putting new pipe in the ground where the leak is located,” she said.

A long canal was being dug in the front yard of the home at 15816 Fifth Avenue today as well as another hole next to the house. A hole at in the backyard of the neighoring house to the south was also being dug to gain access to the pipes.