Maintenance work leads to a natural gas smell in parts of Kenai, leading many to question what’s going on.
Lindsay Hobson, Director of Corporate Resources and Communications for ENSTAR Natural Gas Company told KSRM that there’s nothing to worry about:
“We are doing some work at the Kenai City Gate Station over near the Kenai Spur Highway and Main Street Loop. What we’re doing there is we’re working with the mercaptan system there. Mercaptan is an additive that we put into natural gas. Natural gas, in its natural state, is odorless and colorless. We definitely want people to know when there is natural gas in the air, which is why we’ve put this additive into the gas. It’s an odorant called mercaptan. Mercaptan itself is not anything to be alarmed about. It’s simply there to let you know that natural gas is in the area, but when we’re working with the odorant, we’re switching some piping that’s causing a release of some of the odorant.”
Hobson also said:
“We don’t want people to necessarily change their behavior when it comes to natural gas safety. If you think that you have a gas leak, we do want to hear from you. Please give us a call. Our number is 1-844-SMELL-GAS. We are aware of this issue and the areas that it’s impacting. People might have questions what that’s all about. Not to be alarmed. That is the odorant that they are smelling.”
Be advised, you may notice this smell lingering in that part of Kenai for the rest of the week. That’s because Hobson said that maintenance work is expected to be completed by Friday.
