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Harvey County emergency officials report 30 homes still without gas as state covers cleanup costs
Summary
Harvey County emergency management and Newton fire officials updated commissioners on the Newton gas release response, saying the Kansas Division of Emergency Management will cover emergency work costs, venting systems are being installed in affected homes and county emergency declarations will be allowed to expire.
Harvey County emergency management and Newton fire officials told the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16 that 30 homes remain without gas service following the Newton gas release and that the Kansas Division of Emergency Management has agreed to cover emergency response costs.
Mike Anderson, Harvey County Emergency Management, told commissioners that KDHE continues to analyze soil samples and that "the Kansas division of emergency management has agreed to cover this cost." Anderson recommended allowing the local emergency declaration and the state support services declaration to expire as planned, saying, "In consultation with KDIM, there's no need to extend the local declaration, and state, support services declaration. So, it would be my recommendation we would allow that declaration to expire." (KDIM as referenced in the meeting.)
Chief Lehman, speaking after Anderson, provided operational details: "30 homes continue to be without gas service. Newton Fire EMS continues to do above ground gas monitoring daily. Newton Fire EMS has installed all homes with, gas monitor detectors inside the residence." He said a contractor had been hired to install venting systems and "thus far, they have installed 8" such systems. The contractor paused installation for a time over a payment dispute, Lehman said, but "that has been resolved, and, work started back up yesterday." He added the contractor estimates they "can do 5 to 7 per day." Asked how the venting works, Lehman said the systems are similar to radon mitigation: they go under the foundation or through concrete and "it just puts a vacuum and pulls anything that's under the foundation out. Whether that will be good enough for Kansas gas service still remains to be seen."
The meeting record shows county staff and Newton Fire EMS are coordinating with Kansas Gas Service and the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) on conditions for restoring service; Lehman described the situation as "murky" while Kansas Gas Service and the KCC resolve liability and safety questions. Anderson said an initial estimate of approximately $44,000 had been made to cover emergency work, and that the state will cover those emergency costs.
Why this matters: dozens of local households remain without regular gas service while monitoring and mitigation continue. Commissioners were told federal- and state-level agencies are involved in testing and funding the immediate emergency response.
The emergency-management update also reminded residents that September is National Preparedness Month and offered resources: "Please visit ready.gov for preparedness tips," Anderson said, adding county preparedness materials are available on the Harvey County website under the emergency preparedness tab.
No formal motion or vote about extending the emergency declaration was recorded during the Sept. 16 meeting; Anderson recommended allowing the declaration to expire and reported state support would continue for the emergency work.
