Ham Lake resident Brian Gilbertson could see the gas vapor being released from his home.
“It was like a jet engine super loud, so I went in and got hearing protection and walked down here to see what was going on,” said Gilberston.
The gas release came from a facility near Highway 65 and 143rd Avenue just before 9 o’clock in the evening on November 7. It transfers gas from an interstate pipeline to the pipes of a local gas distribution company.
“Basically it was about a hundred feet up in the air, gas going up, definitely visual. You could see it from my home here,” said Gilbertson.
A spokesperson for Northern Gas says it was not really a leak. Mike Loeffler says a relief valve opened because of a problem with a sensor after routine maintenance that was performed by a contractor. He says there was no threat to public health or safety. Northern crews quickly resolved the issue in about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile an evacuation order went out to mobile devices. Gilbertson says there was confusion about who was involved.
“There was some talk on social media about it being a half mile radius in that area and others were saying the entire town of Ham Lake.” Gilbertson says some people complained on social media that they never got notification.
The all clear came about 10:20 pm, leaving some neighbors shook up, but nobody hurt.
The spokesperson for Northern Gas says the small diameter of the relief valve makes a loud whistling sound when gas is released. They are not sure how much escaped. The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety were investigating the incident.
