April 24, 2015 - Clean, reliable natural gas flows through nearly 2.2 million miles of pipeline in the United States to safely serve 71 million national gas customers. Natural gas service has an excellent safety record, but an accident or misuse can cause a gas leak.

"Public safety and the welfare of work crews and our employees are our first priority," said Lori Scovel, operations supervisor for the Anamosa area. "Never hesitate to call on us. We're your natural gas experts, and our employees are on call 24/7, every day of the year. We investigate all gas leaks and odor calls at no charge."

To help you detect a leak, Black Hills adds an odorant to its natural gas. Most people describe it as a rotten egg smell or other pungent order. Scovel said that if you ever think you smell natural gas:

  • Get everyone out of the building immediately - leave the door open as you exit.
  • As you leave, don't touch light switches, electrical appliances, phones or windows. A spark of static electricity could ignite a leak.
  • Once outside, call 911 or the 24-hour Black Hills Energy emergency number: 800-694-8989.
  • Wait well away from the building for your local Black Hills Energy natural gas professionals to arrive and secure the area.
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