Officials: Natural gas pipeline leak ‘not a safety concern’

Out of an abundance of caution, the Dagmar Dale Trail at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge has been closed for the past several weeks because of a natural gas leak, officials said.

“We have spoken with New Jersey Fish & Wildlife about the gas leak on their Wallkill property,” Vernon Mayor Anthony Rossi said Monday night, Feb. 5. “The leak was originally noticed weeks ago and checked by gas companies. It was determined to be minor and not a safety concern.”

Anna Harris, deputy manager of the Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge, said they were alerted to the leak when members of the public using the trail reported smelling an odor.

“Officials from both Tennessee Gas and Elizabethtown Gas have been out there monitoring the situation,” she said Tuesday, Feb.6. “The leak is from an Elizabethtown Gas pipe, and out of an abundance of caution, we made a joint decision to close the trail.”

There is no immediate timeline for repairs to be made, officials said, but the wet weather has not helped matters.

“With all of the rain and snow we have gotten lately, they haven’t been able to move equipment to the site to make the needed repair because the ground is too soft,” Rossi said. “As far as I know, one of their biggest concerns is that someone would go up there and start a fire or use an open flame and that is a big reason they decided to close the trail.”