An Athens postal worker expressed concern over the city’s natural gas safety and pleaded with Athens City Council to implement the carbon monoxide ordinance ahead of schedule last night at the City Council meeting.
The City Council passed the carbon monoxide ordinance in late 2010, but it is not expected to take effect until 2012. The ordinance requires that all Athens rental units have working carbon monoxide detectors to ensure student safety. According to Councilwoman Sherri Coon in November 2010, the compliance date was changed from September 2011 to January 2012 to allow landlords more time to purchase carbon monoxide detectors.
Charles Murray Rose explained how he smells gas leaks frequently on his mail routes and feels it his duty to protect not only himself but his customers as well.
In Rose’s fourth plea before council last night, Rose alerted City Council about a possible gas leak that he detected while delivering mail to Conrath Realty at 280 E. State St. on March 11. While it was not a gas leak, it turns out that a roofer inadvertently covered a ventilation pipe. Employees thanked Rose for raising this concern as it could have developed into a serious problem if left unnoticed.
The first time Rose realized there was a problem was in March 2008 while delivering mail to 20 and 21 N. Shannon Ave. Rose first brought the issue to council after smelling a gas leak at the home of Jane Lyons at 306 E. State St. in April 2009.
Lyons had told Rose that if he hadn’t noticed the problem that her house could have exploded. But after three years of being on public record, only baby steps have been taken to correct the issue.
The cost of the carbon monoxide detectors is another problem that is delaying the process and Rose fears that if the ordinance is not implemented early, the city could face a major lawsuit.
“Since when do we value the cost of some object over the cost of someone’s life?” Rose said as he stood before council. “I urge you not to wait until 2012 because God forbid a student is killed between now and then.”
The success of carbon monoxide detectors has been documented as well. Rose said that a carbon monoxide detector at 61 Elmwood Place alerted residents to evacuate. Rose also said that a carbon monoxide detector detected a problem at 11 Sunnyside Drive where a family and their baby were forced to evacuate safely.
Infrastructural problems that lead to faulty gas lines are not only a problem in Athens, but nationwide.
Rose noted that Columbia Gas of Ohio has recently agreed to move to a new building. Columbia will relocate less than a mile from its current location in Columbus in late 2014 in a move that will cost $50 million.
“Instead of getting their new digs in Columbus, why couldn’t they use some of that money to fix the gas lines?” Rose said. “It makes no sense.”
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