Uploaded September 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
mercaptan dallas pa school DALLAS TWP. By Mark Guydish — Students were temporarily moved to the Dallas High School auditorium and emergency personnel were brought in Thursday morning after the odor of natural gas was smelled, but it turned out to be only the odorant added to gas, and not gas itself, from a controlled release at a nearby gas facility.
District and emergency responders said the gas company had not properly notified district and township officials.
"A little after 10 a.m. I got a phone call about a strong, pungent odor of gas at the high school coming in through the ventilators," Superintendent Frank Galicki said. The ventilators were shut down, the students moved to the auditorium and the fire department and township emergency management called. No gas was detected, but the district learned that the odorant, added to allow people to detect the otherwise odorless natural gas, had been released by Williams, the owner of the nearby Transco pipeline.
Galicki and Township Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Alan Pugh said the company had apparently made some notifications but did not follow protocol. Galicki said someone had called him Wednesday Afternoon around 4 p.m. and he had immediately directed them to call township supervisors and EMA, who would in turn give the district directions on how to handle any issue.
"Those communications did not occur," Galicki said. "Someone dropped the ball."
Galicki said the release should not have occurred during school hours even if it was only the odorant. "We are going to demand that there be no type of activity during school hours," Galicki said.
"They can release the gas and they can control everything but the wind," Pugh said. "Obviously they did smell gas here, it's a concern, and we had a few other businesses in the area, including a supermarket that temporarily evacuated." Pugh said such problems can be avoided "Through timely notification and following protocol."
Classes resumed, but many parents came to take their children home, Galicki said, a fact made obvious when his press briefing was interrupted by an announcement over the public address system calling a long list of students to the main entrance for early dismissal.
A notice from Williams pipeline company dated Sept. 20 was posted to the township's website alerting those in the area venting might occur between Sept. 23 and Oct. 1. The township said gas venting is planned for the Perry Metering Station near Demunds Road.
The Department of Environmental protection sent two inspectors and an emergency-response team member from its Bureau of Air Quality to investigate, said DEP Spokeswoman Colleen Connolly.
Representatives from Williams were not immediately available. The entire list of Pennsylvania water contaminations from fracking. files.dep.state.pa.us/OilGas/BOGM/BOGMPortalFiles/OilGasReports/Determination_Letters/Regional_Determination_Letters.pdf
mercaptan dallas pa school DALLAS TWP. By Mark Guydish — Students were temporarily moved to the Dallas High School auditorium and emergency personnel were brought in Thursday morning after the odor of natural gas was smelled, but it turned out to be only the odorant added to gas, and not gas itself, from a controlled release at a nearby gas facility.
District and emergency responders said the gas company had not properly notified district and township officials.
"A little after 10 a.m. I got a phone call about a strong, pungent odor of gas at the high school coming in through the ventilators," Superintendent Frank Galicki said. The ventilators were shut down, the students moved to the auditorium and the fire department and township emergency management called. No gas was detected, but the district learned that the odorant, added to allow people to detect the otherwise odorless natural gas, had been released by Williams, the owner of the nearby Transco pipeline.
Galicki and Township Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Alan Pugh said the company had apparently made some notifications but did not follow protocol. Galicki said someone had called him Wednesday Afternoon around 4 p.m. and he had immediately directed them to call township supervisors and EMA, who would in turn give the district directions on how to handle any issue.
"Those communications did not occur," Galicki said. "Someone dropped the ball."
Galicki said the release should not have occurred during school hours even if it was only the odorant. "We are going to demand that there be no type of activity during school hours," Galicki said.
"They can release the gas and they can control everything but the wind," Pugh said. "Obviously they did smell gas here, it's a concern, and we had a few other businesses in the area, including a supermarket that temporarily evacuated." Pugh said such problems can be avoided "Through timely notification and following protocol."
Classes resumed, but many parents came to take their children home, Galicki said, a fact made obvious when his press briefing was interrupted by an announcement over the public address system calling a long list of students to the main entrance for early dismissal.
A notice from Williams pipeline company dated Sept. 20 was posted to the township's website alerting those in the area venting might occur between Sept. 23 and Oct. 1. The township said gas venting is planned for the Perry Metering Station near Demunds Road.
The Department of Environmental protection sent two inspectors and an emergency-response team member from its Bureau of Air Quality to investigate, said DEP Spokeswoman Colleen Connolly.
Representatives from Williams were not immediately available. The entire list of Pennsylvania water contaminations from fracking. files.dep.state.pa.us/OilGas/BOGM/BOGMPortalFiles/OilGasReports/Determination_Letters/Regional_Determination_Letters.pdf
