Natural gas leak on Joyce Street

Cornwall firefighters and workers with Elco Electric stand outside a home on Joyce Street in Cornwall, Ont. on Tuesday, July 10, 2018 after a natural gas line break. Platoon Chief Kelly Michaud says the electrical crew had locates and was digging when they accidentally hit an underground pipe. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)

CORNWALL – Lots of hissing in a west end Cornwall neighbourhood but no injuries and no evacuations required after a natural gas leak Tuesday afternoon.

Cornwall firefighters and Union Gas crews were at 1326 Joyce Street around 2 p.m. after an underground line was accidentally severed. Part of the home is under construction as some sort of addition is being built.

Platoon Chief Kelly Michaud tells Cornwall Newswatch the electrical crew had all utility locates but the natural gas line wasn’t where it was on the diagram.

After speaking with the workers and Union Gas, Michaud said the crew had just started to dig into the ground when they severed the line. “Because, usually when you have a trench (for a natural gas line), you have layers of sand below and above the pipe so when you hit sand when you’re digging you know you’re there. This one? No.”

Because there was no one next door and no wind, there was no need to evacuate the area, Michaud added.

Union Gas workers came in and crimped the line and everyone wrapped up at the scene before 3 p.m.

A section of the street was cordoned off during the hour but has since reopened.