A false alarm about gas leaks in Arlington led the school district to instruct students and employees to stay indoors Tuesday, according to the city and a social media post from the district.
A city spokesperson told KERA News around noon Tuesday that the warnings of a leak were a false alarm.
According to the fire department, the worries were caused by an over-pressurization of mercaptan, a chemical added to natural gas, which is odorless on its own, to give it that distinct rotten egg smell.
The school district posted about the suspected leak on social media Tuesday morning, writing that the smell of gas has been reported at multiple locations across the city.
The district’s facility services staff is adjusting air intake systems in an attempt to minimize the odor of gas getting into buildings.
Atmos Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.
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James Hartley is the Arlington Government Accountability reporter for KERA. An award-winning journalist from North Texas, he’s passionate about true stories, understated movies and good tea. James previously…
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