Was there a gas leak in Charlotte? 5 things to know about odor that stunk up the city

Table Of Content

• AI could be used to influence election, says experts
• Fiery natural gas leak in Charlotte caught on camera
• Gas Leak Repair for Homeowners in Charlotte, NC, & Beyond
• GasBuddy reports 71% of gas stations without fuel in Charlotte metro amid Colonial Pipeline shutdown
• ‘Why does it smell like onions in my car?’: Odor around Charlotte caused by additive to natural gas, officials say
• If there’s any delay, it’s you we pay!®

An inversion is when a warm layer of air just above the surface traps many things below it, like pollution, sound, fog, smoke, and even natural gas. Following damage to the gas pipeline and data cables, NATO has stepped up its patrols of the Baltic Sea. The alliance has sent minehunters, maritime patrol aircraft, and drones to the region to secure the area and detect suspicious movement near its critical undersea infrastructure. HELSINKI (AP) — A Chinese container ship remains the focus of an investigation into what caused the damage last year to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline between NATO members Finland and Estonia, Finnish authorities said Thursday. Weak natural gas prices have significantly impacted energy companies' first-quarter earnings, particularly in the United States, where benchmark Henry Hub gas prices have recently traded at less than $2 per million Btu.

AI could be used to influence election, says experts

Charlotte city officials received so many 911 calls Thursday that an emergency alert was issued to cellphones in the area advising people to not report the smell. Consultants at Newmark estimate that by the end of this decade, the electricity needed to power new data center facilities will reach 35 gigawatts, nearly double the 2022 level. Additionally, a report from investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. suggests that up to 8.5 billion cubic feet a day (Bcf) of gas in the United States by 2030 could be required to meet the rising demand from AI data centers. This is a significant number in a market where total gas demand stands at around 90 Bcf daily. Then it flows through many different types of pipes through your home, supplying appliances such as furnaces and water heaters. Because your home contains a complex system of different kinds of valves, fittings and more there are several places where a problem can occur which will make gas leak repair necessary.

Fiery natural gas leak in Charlotte caught on camera

Whatever gas pipe repair is appropriate we will handle it as quickly as possible so your home or business is once again as safe as possible. At the same time, the Biden Administration, through legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, is working to discourage natural gas use in homes by promoting electrification of heating and cooking. According to Piedmont Natural Gas, the current system-wide leak rate is 0.09%. It’s the equivalent of 313,000 tons of CO2 which is like 802,390,777 miles driven by an average gas-powered vehicle, according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator.

Gas Leak Repair for Homeowners in Charlotte, NC, & Beyond

Novant Health said it temporarily paused operations at Presbyterian Hospital due to concerns of the smell. Telecom cables connecting Finland and Estonia, as well as Sweden and Estonia, were also damaged at the same time as the Balticconnector pipeline. Finnish and Estonian authorities believe both incidents may be connected to the Chinese vessel.

Our dedicated emergency team is available 24/7 to respond to emergencies, ensuring the safety and well-being of our customers. Don’t hesitate to call us in case of an emergency — we’re here to help when you need us most. They pose serious risks to your health and safety, as well as to the integrity of your property. If you suspect a gas leak in your Charlotte, NC, home, it’s crucial to act swiftly and decisively.

New satellite technology helps improve response to Piedmont Natural Gas leaks - WSOC Charlotte

New satellite technology helps improve response to Piedmont Natural Gas leaks.

Posted: Mon, 26 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

School officials say school operations will continue as normal on Wednesday. All remaining students and staff still in the building were safely removed from the school, officials say. Officials say the leak occurred after school dismissed for the day. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline reached above $3 for the first time since 2016 Wednesday, according to the AAA auto club.

When warm air rises, air under the inversion can’t escape because it is cooler than the air above causing smoke and pollution – and in this case, smell – to get trapped. The National Weather Service said inversions are stable masses where cooler air is near the earth’s surface and warmer air is on top. The air masses are “inverted” from their normal temperature zones. According to information from Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, a weather phenomenon known as an inversion kept the odor close to the surface, making it easy to smell.

A Chinese ship remains the focus of the investigation into Baltic Sea gas pipeline damaged last year

Jackson says said people started getting headaches and others vomited as a result of the stench. She said they did not evacuate after learning the smell and chemical, mercaptan, were harmless. Jake Ellis was at his condo just one mile outside of Uptown when he smelled the odor. At first he thought it was coming from his home or neighboring units. Erika Jackson was attending the national UPS convention on Thursday at the Charlotte Convention Center when the smell forced its way inside the building.

If there’s any delay, it’s you we pay!®

Don't wait until it's too late - schedule a preventative gas line inspection and maintenance service with our team today to ensure the safety of your home. Our professional technicians are highly trained and use the latest technology to thoroughly inspect your gas lines and identify any potential issues. In addition to our top-notch services, we also prioritize excellent customer service. We understand the importance of trust and reliability when it comes to servicing your home, which is why we offer guarantees on our workmanship and products used. Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere behind carbon dioxide. Given its size and chemical properties, it’s 28 times more powerful when it comes to heating the atmosphere.

According to Piedmont Natural Gas, there are no natural gas leaks on its system. It said the widespread odor was caused by a local company destroying mercaptan tanks that were “mistakenly reported empty.” A source told Channel 9 that Legacy Environmental was the company that caused the smell. In a tweet, Piedmont Natural Gas said the smell was due to an unintentional release of mercaptan, which is added to natural gas to give it the distinctive smell of rotten eggs, making it easy to detect. Piedmont Natural Gas said mercaptan poses no threat to the community and no natural gas leaks were detected in their system. Piedmont confirmed the leak was caused by an environmental company near Uptown Charlotte destroying mercaptan tanks that were mistakenly reported as being empty. A weather phenomenon called an inversion made the smell more exaggerated across Charlotte, Brad Panovich confirmed.

"The odor is exaggerated by a strong low-level temperature inversion," Panovich tweeted Thursday. "It's a warm layer of air just off the surface that traps things below it." In the United States, this catalyst may emerge from the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the economy.