Sep. 26--PORT CARBON -- Natural gas hissed out of a 6-inch line for more than three hours Thursday evening on South Coal Street.

Fire officials responded about 4:30 p.m. to Pottsville Bleaching and Dyeing Co., South Coal Street, for a gas leak after a worker clearing non-structural metal from the vacant plant struck the line.

Port Carbon borough Fire Chief Michael Welsh said at the scene the gas fumes were not posing a threat to neighboring homes or businesses.

"Since it's a non-populated area, I'm not going to do air monitoring. It's blowing to the west," he said.

Fire officials sprayed a hose in the air over the ruptured line to dissipate the fumes.

A foreman with Acts Construction & Demolition, Reading, who declined to give his name, said he and two other men in his crew were working to demolish parts of the boiler room when they struck the outside line with a demolition saw.

"The gas line was live and when we cut it, it started blowing gas," he said. "It's an abandoned building, the line should have been off."

"It should have been cut off because anyone can go down the back and who knows what's going on," Welsh said.

He added that the line was along the ground, unburied and unmarked.

Workers from PPL Gas Utilities stopped the leak with a temporary sleeve and fire officials cleared the scene about 8:30 p.m., Welsh said in a phone interview Thursday night.

"The gas company actually put a sleeve on top of the pipe and tied it on," he said. "(This) morning they'll come and do a permanent fix. They got it stopped with the sleeve. It's not leaking any fuel at all."

Welsh was unsure how much gas escaped from the line.

Officials directed traffic and closed surrounding roads, Route 209 near Jackson Street as well as East Bacon Street and South Coal Street about 5 p.m., reopening them about 8:15 p.m., according to Welsh.

Pottsville Bleaching & Dyeing Co. closed in October 1999 and dismissing 40 employees due to its inability to fund sewage treatment system updates required by the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority, according to The REPUBLICAN & Herald archives.

Officials from Miller Group Inc., the vacant plant's owner, could not be located for comment Thursday night. The foreman with Acts Construction & Demolition said Thursday at the scene they have a contract with Miller Group Inc. and have been working at the South Coal Street facility for a month and a half.

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