Troy: Mudslide cleanup crews find gas leak

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A potentially dangerous discovery at the site of Monday’s mudslide in Troy shut down a busy road and toppled several power poles. As the cleanup continues, crews are now dealing with a new threat.

It's day three of the cleanup of the mudslide on Spring Avenue. Crews say they found a leak in a gas line from 1913. The Troy City Engineer Russ Reeves says this road will be closed at least until the end of the week.

“About 4200 tons of branches and debris end up falling on Spring Ave., wiping out five power poles,” said Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello.

Officials tell NEWS10 they have clearance from National Grid to continue the cleanup while the gas leak is monitored.

National Grid said, “We rate leaks by the amount of gas emitted, and this was determined to be a low-level leak that does not need to be addressed immediately. We plan to look at the leak after all other repairs in the area have been completed.”

Reeves says the cleanup will entail a complete overhaul of the slope. But first, he says, “We have to put in finger drains, which allow us to drain the embankment so it no longer retains water.” And then, by adding a retaining wall. “We feel it's going to be about a week to complete this operation and get this more stable, so moving forward the opportunity to have this problem is very slim,” said Reeves.

He says the job can be unpredictable. “Work with Mother Nature. Work with some of our natural landforms, try to make adjustments as you can, and make sure it sticks. Because sometimes, you're dealing with Mother Nature, and you can't achieve total stability. That can be a little unnerving.”