Tonganoxie home has mystery gas leak

? Scott Wogomon recently detected a strange smell outside his new home, so he contacted Kansas Gas Service to investigate the leak.

That was Aug. 18, and officials are still working to determine what exactly the gas is.

Kansas Gas Service visited the Wogomon home that day, tending to a gas meter on the property on North Hickory Street. In the process of the work, crews determined an unknown gas in the soil.

After several tests, Kansas Gas workers found that the gas that was being detected wasn’t the natural gas substance the company supplies.

“It’s not pipeline gas,” said Dawn Ewing, manager of communications for the Kansas Gas Service. “It’s been determined it’s a gas of an unknown source.”

Because of the unknown substance, Kansas Gas Service continued to do tests and asked that the Wogomon family not stay at the house.

The Wogomons are still dealing with the gas leak situation as of Labor Day.

Monday was their 21st day without natural gas, Sheila Wogomon said. She said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has continued to test, but no one from the agency is there during the holiday weekend. KDHE provided affected residents with methane detectors on Friday since no one from the agency would be on site for the extended weekend, Sheila Wogomon said.

She said no gas has been found in the atmosphere or in any homes over the weekend.

Sen. Tom Holland, a Democrat from Baldwin City, has been active behind the scenes working with state agencies as the family’s advocate, she said.

KGS drilled down into the ground throughout the property and requested that the gas and electricity be shut off at the Wogomon residence.

The company covered lodging and some dining costs for the family for several days. Then the family moved back into the house.

Sheila Wogomon said electricity was turned back on that day at the house, but KGS won’t return natural gas service to the property until it’s determined exactly what substance the unknown gas is.

In the meantime, the family, which moved into the home in early April, has tried to function without use of hot water.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been conducting tests on the soil in recent days.

Tonganoxie City Administrator Nathan McCommon said officials are waiting to learn of KDHE’s research results.

The Wogomons invited neighbors to their block in late August so they could ask any questions of area officials.

McCommon, Tonganoxie Mayor Jason Ward, Tonganoxie City Fire Chief Jack Holcom and Tonganoxie City Council member Curtis Oroke were on hand at the meeting, along with representatives from Kansas Gas Service.

Asked why word about the situation had not gotten to residents sooner, Ward said public safety was the top priority, but said the city was gathering information from KGS and state agencies about the impact on the community.

“We’re not here to cause alarm,” Ward said.

Saturday morning, the city distributed about 70 door hangers throughout to the neighborhood as a gesture of “open communication.” The literature was to let residents known that the KDHE was working during the weekend on testing soil in the neighborhood.

McCommon included his cellphone number in the door hangings.

He said he received two calls about the situation during the weekend.

“Nobody raised it as a concern,” McCommon said.

The area KDHE is testing covers a portion of where the Jackson Heights and Stone Creek subdivisions border each other.

If residents notice a peculiar smell they think could be a gas leak, they should leave the area immediately and contact Kansas Gas Service at 1-888-482-4950, or call 911.