NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS COMPLETES SEASIDE RESTORATION PLAN

New Jersey Natural Gas today provided the following assessment and restoration updates for the damaged portions of its system:

Bay Head to Seaside
We have cleared 38 percent of the anomalies that must be addressed before we can begin to re-introduce natural gas into our mains from Bay Head to Seaside.

We expect to clear all of these anomalies between now and December 3.  On that date, we plan to begin re-pressurizing our system just south of the Mantoloking Bridge, at our regulator station.  Barring unforeseen conditions that delay our work, we anticipate restoring natural gas service by the end of December to all of our customers whose homes have not sustained such major damage that we cannot safely restore their service.

As we are doing on Long Beach Island, we will re-introduce natural gas into our system one section at a time.  From Bay Head to Seaside, there are seven sections.  We estimate that re-pressurization for each of these sections will take one to two days.  As soon as our crews complete re-pressurization in each section, a second team will begin meter work in that section. 

It is essential to note that in some areas that sustained the most extensive damage, it may be necessary to cap our main at those side streets until they can be made ready for natural gas service.

Once a meter has been re-established and you see a tag on the customer gas valve just past your meter, your home’s natural gas service may be turned on by your qualified technician-- but only after electricity has been restored, you have safely returned to your home, and your qualified technician has determined that your natural gas equipment is safe to operate.

Scheduling and updates will be available every day at www.njng.com.

This afternoon, we shared with the mayors of these affected communities our re-pressurization and service restoration plans.

Monmouth County
On First Avenue in Manasquan, municipal crews have so far managed to clear enough debris for our crews to replace 200 feet of the main that must be replaced in this area.  Altogether, we have so far replaced 900 feet of our main in Manasquan.  We continue to work immediately behind the municipal crews, and have made natural gas available to 27 of our affected customers’ meters.

We are finalizing our re-pressurization plans for Clifford Way and Bayshore Avenue in Laurence Harbor.

Ocean County Mainland
Natural gas is now available to 6,026 of our affected customers’ meters, with 1,814 turned back on.

Long Beach Island
Natural gas is now available to 3,708 of our customers’ meters.
Today, we are re-introducing natural gas into the sixth section of our main on Long Beach Island, from Holly Drive to the northern tip of the island.  We expect to move onto the seventh section tomorrow, from 49th Street in Brant Beach south to 85th Street.

Meters are now being rebuilt in the sections where natural gas has been reintroduced.  Once a meter has been re-established and you see a tag on the customer gas valve just past your meter, your home’s natural gas service may be turned on by your qualified technician-- but only after electricity has been restored, you have safely returned to your home, and your qualified technician has determined that your natural gas equipment is safe to operate.

Scheduling, details and updates on our LBI restoration work are available at www.njng.com/safety/hurricane-sandy-updates/lbi-service-restoration.asp. 

With natural gas now restored to some affected areas and property clean-up underway, please remember that at least three business days prior to outdoor construction or digging, contractors and property owners – whoever is excavating – must call New Jersey One Call at 811 or 800-272-1000 and take the following steps:

• Wait for the site to be marked with paint, flags or stakes. Yellow indicates the presence of underground natural gas lines.
• Respect the marks and dig with care.
• Hand dig only (no mechanized equipment) within two feet of buried piping and facilities.
• Be mindful that inclement weather may wash away the painted markings.

Federal, New Jersey and local safety codes prohibit tampering with natural gas meters and service lines. Even if natural gas service has not yet been restored to your area, this could significantly hamper efforts to restore service.

If you smell an odor of natural gas, leave the building immediately. Do not light matches, touch electrical switches or appliances, or use your telephone. From a safe location, customers should notify us of all gas leaks immediately at 800-GAS-LEAK.

For additional information, visit our Hurricane Sandy Resource Center at www.njng.com.