NJNG PROVIDES DAILY UPDATE ON HURRICANE RESTORATION EFFORTS

New Jersey Natural Gas today provided the following updates of our service restoration for the storm-damaged portions of our system:

Yesterday, we installed 610 feet of main in Mantoloking. We have replaced a total of 3,995 feet of our damaged 12-inch main between Bay Head and Seaside Park, which is 77 percent of the work we must complete before Monday, when we will begin to re-pressurize our system that serves the Seaside peninsula. Updates on our schedule and progress will be available at www.njng.com.

We continue to install services in the Bayshore region of Monmouth County, where 40 meters have been turned back on; in Manasquan, where we have completed 55 percent of our service installations; and throughout the rest of our territory.

In Sea Bright, Long Beach Island and the Ocean County mainland, all customers whose homes and businesses can safely accept service now have natural gas to their meters.

Long Beach Island’s Joint Office of Emergency Management is requesting that residents with restored natural gas service bring back their electric space heaters to the Long Beach Township Police Department, so they can be reused by those who do not yet have service restored.

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.

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.

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