Gas leak forces closure on East 13th Avenue

Daily Emerald

October 20, 2005

A natural gas leak in a restaurant near campus forced emergency officials to close sections of East 13th Avenue on Thursday.
Northwest Natural inspected Hodgepodge around 10 a.m. after employees of the neighboring U.S. Bank smelled gas. Both businesses were not yet open at the time.
Inspectors discovered a worn stove connection was the source of the leak and ordered the restaurant to fix the leak before operating the equipment again, said Ron Marr, customer service supervisor for Northwest Natural.
Gas was carried from the restaurant into the bank via a ventilation system the two businesses share. The gas was also blown outside onto East 13th Avenue and people walking by may have smelled it, Marr said.
During the inspection, all appliances were checked. Inspectors did not find an underground leak.
– Katy Gagnon