MANSFIELD — Mansfield and Lexington schools will be back to regular session on Thursday officials said following Wednesday’s closures because of natural gas issues in a number of buildings.
Two Mansfield elementary schools, Spanish Immersion and Woodland, closed Wednesday because of the odor, which officials initially thought was a leak.
Staff and students from Sherman and STEM schools temporarily relocated, as well, but returned to “normal operations” by late morning.
Lexington High School also closed and canceled YMCA afterschool care at all elementary buildings in the district.
Lexington Superintendent Jeremy Secrist thanked staff and families for their support during “our early release and evacuations today.”
Residents and business owners from Richland, Ashland and Lorain counties reported odors of natural gas on Wednesday, leading to a swell of calls from people complaining of the smell.
‘The situation is safe’
Columbia Gas said the company’s crews were aware of the gas odor.
“The situation is safe, and the source of the odor is known,” the utility company said in a statement. “The odor is occurring due to an overabundance of an additive known as mercaptan being added by an upstream supplier.
“Mercaptan is a harmless substance that makes it easier to detect natural gas. The source of the odor is not due to a gas leak.”
Bill Loomer, a spokesman for the company, declined to identify the “upstream supplier” and encouraged customers to call 1-800-344-4077 “if you believe you are smelling a gas leak.”
He said the odor should “dissipate over time,” but did not provide a specific timeframe.
“We have numerous service techs responding to each odor call. The situation is safe, but it will take some time for the odor to dissipate,” Loomer said.
He said it is safe to use appliances powered by natural gas, such as stoves, furnaces and fireplaces.
Mercaptan, Loomer said, is not harmful “at the levels used to odorize natural gas.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say exposure to the volatile organic compound “may cause immediate irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and shortness of breath, as well as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and tearing of the eyes.
Exposure to methyl mercaptan can also cause nausea and vomiting and dizziness, headache and lack of coordination.”