Two gas lines hit within as many weeks

Capac copes with construction issues

 

CAPAC — Construction issues continue to swirl in the Village of Capac, with the most recent damage coming from two separate incidents of gas lines being ruptured in the past two weeks.

A portion of the on-going construction is advance work of a major street project coming to the village in the next few months.

In a notice from village officials on Thursday of last week, the message stated, “Due to a contractor hitting an unmarked 4-inch gas main by the intersection of Church St. and Glassford St., village residents in this area may have disturbances in gas services for the next few hours until it is fixed. We appreciate your patience.”

Later the same evening, residents reported, “the gas is still coming out of the ground. They haven’t even stopped it yet. Can’t believe they’re not making us move away” from the gas break area.

Another resident reported, “Roberts St. has no gas this morning as of 5 a.m. (Friday). No hot water, no heat.”

Although not officially confirmed, the other gas line break came when a village employee struck another gas line while performing similar work as last Thursday’s rupture.

Carol Ann Fodale-Roberts said, “Mussey Twp. posted about it (the gas main break) yesterday and to “ avoid the area.”

Roberts said after hearing about the house explosion in Southgate earlier the same day, “I can’t believe how cavalier the village is being about this!!”

Residents reported a strong hissing sound coming from the area of where the break occurred. One nearby resident provided a recording of the hissing sound of gas escaping.

A number of village residents are still unhappy with the way the two former DPW employees were allegedly treated, being recently terminated with no previous disciplinary action.

The two men were terminated last month while a third was let go a few months ago.

That left just the newly named DPW Supervisor who stepped down from his position on the village council to take the DPW job.

In all, three people from the DPW, and the former supervisor have been terminated in recent months.

A member of village council confirmed the current supervisor is no longer a village council member, “because that is a conflict of interest.”

The former council member was replaced as a village council member with Miguel Rodriguez.

Bryan Miller and Aaron Woolman were among those released from employment at the village.

There has been growing concern with the lack of employees who know the village’s infrastructure.

In a least one of the gas line breaks, MISS DIG was allegedly not called to mark the area for utilities before digging began.

Calls and messages to village officials for comment have gone unanswered.