Hospers, Iowa — A few tense moments in Hospers on Thursday — a contractor doing work near Premium Iowa Pork hit a natural gas line.
According to Hospers Fire Chief Jason Overmole, the contractor was working with a mini excavator near the southeast corner of the main plant when the gas line was caught with the bucket of the machine, around 2:45 p.m.
When the fire department responded, Overmole says they cleared out the immediate area and they had firefighters in SCBA gear go into the hole and attempt to slow down the leak. He says they were able to significantly slow down the leak in the two-inch pipe. According to Overmole, they also monitored the wind direction. He tells us that they contacted the gas line owner, MidAmerican Energy, and stayed on-scene until they arrived. He says since the issue was near the Union Pacific Railroad, they also called the railroad to advise them of the situation.
Overmole tells us that he was told the gas line serves Premium Iowa Pork, an old hog buying station, and a home.
Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour.
Overmole reminds people that if you’re going to be doing any kind of digging, you need to call 811 before you dig.
