By JACKSON WANG
Executive Editor
Utility crews were out in front of Centennial Hall Thursday and Friday fixing a cracked cast iron gas main, according to Patrick Stella, spokesperson for National Grid.
“We were called to Centennial Hall due to the smell of natural gas being reported in the area,” Stella said.
The utility crew worked all day Thursday and into Friday morning to replace the main. Stella said this is normal this time of year, especially with the cold weather, causing a shift, which can lead to a crack.
He also said that at no point was it necessary to evacuate Centennial Hall or nearby buildings because the leak happened outdoors instead of indoors and in a confined area.
John Bryant, vice president of facilities at Saint Rose, said the level of gas was very little and posed no threat at all to the buildings or its residents. He said the gas could only be picked up on a windy day because the scent was so low.
Since Centennial has been built, many students have complained about the smell of gas, especially the residents of Centennial Hall.
Bryant also said the crack has existed when the old houses on the block were demolished for the construction of Centennial Hall, which began in 2011. He said it’s an old service feed to the building at 920 Madison Ave.
He also said an order had been sent into National Grid to fix the crack for some time, but since there was no present danger, an immediate repair wasn’t necessary.
“This was a very minor, low priority situation,” Bryant said. “If [National Grid] had a major leak, they would have been out here right away.”
