A recent gas leak in downtown Farmingdale has village officials and utility service providers pointing fingers over who is at fault.
On Feb. 6, firefighters and police were called in to evacuate residents and business owners in the area abutting the construction site of Jefferson Plaza, after reports of a gas leak at 154 South Front Street.
According to officials, the leak was caused when excavation crews, working at the site, unexpectedly hit a gas service line.
Wendy Ladd, a spokeswoman for National Grid, said utility workers were able to shut off service while they did the final repairs, and by 12:31 p.m., the area was made safe.
However, while National Grid was able to rectify the problem, Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand said that the utility did not properly mark off the gas line.
“That [gas] line was not on the map,” Ekstrand said.
According to Ekstrand, the village has since suspended all construction at the site until National Grid provides an updated map of its service lines.
“There is no more construction, until that occurs,” he added.
