The shutdown will involve the release of natural gas
If people smell the pungent odor of gas in the air today near the intersection of The Old Road and Magic Mountain Parkway, they should not be alarmed. From 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Gas Co. will be conducting a shutdown to relocate a pipeline in order to make way for a storm drain that is to be installed, said Denise King, a spokeswoman for the company.
The shutdown will involve the release of natural gas into the atmosphere, since the gas must be released from the pipe before it is cut, King said. If residents near the area smell gas outdoors they should not be alarmed. Natural gas is lighter than air so it will simply rise up into the atmosphere. "Natural gas is nontoxic, so it should not pose any concern for area residents," King said.
The workers will use a muffler-like silencer, so as to help minimize any noise from the operation, King said.
King said that all local agencies had been notified of the relocation. The relocation of the pipeline is a part of the city’s widening of Magic Mountain Parkway On July 20, crews using a backhoe to grade a plot of land dug a little too deeply, puncturing a gas main and closing restaurants at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Contractors working on land owned by The Newhall Land and Farming Co. west of The Old Road punctured a buried 6-inch plastic pipe providing natural gas to Magic Mountain. The break sent the pungent gas blowing into the air, as crews worked to "pinch" the line and stop the flow of gas on either side of the break.
This story can be found in today’s Signal Newspaper