Commission hears update on Fox Ridge underground gas release affecting about 30 homes

At their Sept. 16 meeting, the Harvey County Board of Commissioners heard an update on an underground natural‑gas incident in the Fox Ridge development first discovered on Aug. 22. Mike Anderson, Harvey County Emergency Management Director, said a contractor has begun installing venting systems at affected homes and that Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is analyzing soil‑gas samples to help determine the chemical makeup and source of the release.

Anderson said about "30 homes in the area are currently without gas service" while mitigation work continues and that the Kansas Division of Emergency Management has agreed to pay initial investigative costs. He also told commissioners the county's local disaster proclamation was expiring that day but that expiration would not impede access to state or other agency resources for the response.

Commissioners were informed that Newton Fire is coordinating response operations with utility partners. The update emphasized ongoing monitoring of soil‑gas results, continued work to vent residences safely, and the county’s intent to pursue reimbursement or aid sources for response expenses. No timeline for restoring service to all homes was specified during the briefing.