Equipment Failures Behind Oxford Gas Release: Report

OXFORD, CT — Equipment failures at Oxford’s natural gas compressor station released more than 35 million cubic feet of gas July 12, according to Connecticut Public’s report on federal incident records.

The noise woke residents in Oxford, Middlebury and Naugatuck.

A loose connection triggered an emergency shutdown, but a valve failed to fully close. Gas escaped for about 53 minutes before workers manually shut the valve, Connecticut Public reported.

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Middlebury resident ShawnaLee Kwashnak questioned the lack of information afterward.

“It should be transparent and there should actually be an apology,” she told Connecticut Public.

Enbridge, which owns the pipeline, told the outlet that “at no time was there a threat to public safety.”

Connecticut Public also reported that Sierra Club Connecticut wants nearby residents notified about gas releases and information about the amounts made public.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.