Park on Cleveland’s West Side closed off because of gas leak

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) According to a post on Ward 16 Councilman Brian Kazy’s Facebook page, McGowan Park has been cordoned off as a precaution due to a gas leak.

The park is located in the Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood.

Kazy said in the post, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and a contractor are expected to be on-site no later than Wednesday, January 25.

The contractor will then analyze the scope of the job and fence off the site location where it is needed.

A threat assessment has been requested for the houses closest to the park, according to Kazy’s post.

The gas leak is orphan gas well a remnant of gas extraction operations from the 1890s, according to the Cleveland Fire Department

The ODNR started a program in 1977 to plug abandoned oil and natural gas wells around the state.

Click on the link below to learn more about the Orphan Well program.

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/oil-gas/orphan-wells/orphan-well-program

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