Natural gas firm sends letter to local residents

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• Letter sent by NorthWestern Energy

The supplier of the natural gas that contributed to a recent house explosion in Mitchell is arranging a community meeting and urging residents to avoid adjusting their gas meters.

The news is contained in a twopage letter from NorthWestern Energy that is dated Sept. 8. Many of NorthWestern’s Mitchell customers received the letter Monday.

“We have had recent reports of customers turning their gas meter shut-off into the off position thinking they are making their home or business safer,” the letter states. “Customers should not tamper with, which also includes removing, bypassing or attempting to turn on or off any utility service or meter — it is illegal but more importantly it is unsafe.”

The letter was sent in regard to the “recent tragic house explosion” that the letter says “has touched us all in a way that we will never forget.”

The letter, signed by Robert C. Rowe, president and CEO, also says work is under way to arrange a community informational meeting that “will occur within the next few weeks.”

Officials will also be working with local schools on gas safety educa- tion for children, the letter says.

An August house explosion believed to be caused by a natural gas leak sent Mitchell resident Jose Aguirre to a Minnesota burn center with second- and third-degree burns and a collapsed lung. As of last week, Aguirre was still in critical condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.

On Aug. 24, Gail Guthmiller was killed when her home in Menno exploded. Authorities believe a natural gas leak may have also caused that blast. NorthWestern Energy supplied the gas to the home.

Thursday, a natural gas pipeline explosion in California killed at least four people and injured at least 60 while destroying nearly 50 homes and damaging dozens of others.

In the NorthWestern letter, consumers are urged to have gas-related appliances and equipment inspected.

“In a world of do-it-yourselfers, it is tempting to perform this work ourselves,” the letter read. “Please leave it to the professionals.”

The letter calls natural gas a “safe and reliable fuel” but says it “can be hazardous” and must be used and treated with caution and care.” The letter goes on to provide various tips about natural gas, including a reminder that NorthWestern adds a “harmless chemical” called “mercaptan” to the gas to make it smell like rotten eggs. People who detect such a smell are urged to leave the area and call 911 or NorthWestern at (800) 245-6977.

Tags: natural gas, news, local, northwestern, fccnetwork