Firefighters Respond To Propane Gas Leak

On the morning of February 21st, park dispatch received a report of a propane leak from a tank adjacent to Building 512 on the Coast Guard base on Sandy Hook. Park firefighters responded in an NPS engine. Coast Guard personnel at the scene reported that they’d detected the odor of propane gas while working in the area. Investigation revealed that the gas was coming from a 500-pound, above-ground storage tank that supplies an emergency generator that provides backup power to a Verizon microwave communications hut. All telephone service to Sandy Hook issues from that building. The supply line leading from the tank is a steel pipe that runs above ground and is attached to the bottom bulkhead of the generator by a piece of rubber pipe/hose. The firefighters ran out a three-inch supply line and hand lines, evacuated the area, then entered the building and shut down the supply line at the tank valve. The air was monitored, but no significant amounts of gas were found. A light breeze had dissipated most of it. The leak was evidently caused by the failure of the rubber pipe/hose, probably due to below-freezing temperatures and an ice storm.