Gas pipeline ruptures under Raritan River
Gas around the Northeast Corridor rail bridge was shut off after a gas pipeline owned by PSE&G ruptured Friday under the Raritan River, causing the eruption of two natural gas geysers, said Kristine Lloyd, a spokesperson for PSE&G.
Along with PSE&G, the New Brunswick Police Department and the New Brunswick Fire Department were present on the scene, Lloyd said. No evacuations were made.
The geysers sent out strong odors to areas as far as Highland Park High School, New Brunswick Today reported.
The New Brunswick Fire Department and PSE&G are currently working on the broken line. Parts of Johnson Drive were closed in order for crews to access the leak site but no trains seemed to be delayed by the breakage, according to the report.
PSE&G found the damage, but it remains unclear what caused it, Lloyd said.
“It’s a difficult fix because it’s under the water,” she said. “We’re working on how the fix will be made.”
Lloyd said to New Brunswick Today that the leak was not dangerous to either the environment or the public. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Lawrence Hajna had declined to get involved unless water or air quality was affected.
Jim Walsh, the New Jersey Director of Food & Water Watch, said the city could experience more leaks and spills if the reliance on natural gas and other fossil fuels continues to increase, according to New Brunswick Today.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder that we need to turn away from hazardous fossil fuels and toward a clean, safe, renewable energy future,” he said.
