Mysterious natural gas smell in Chicago suburbs linked to leak at oil refinery in NW Indiana
OAK FOREST, Ill. - A natural gas smell across Chicago's south suburbs prompted investigations Wednesday by local officials in Oak Forest, Tinley Park, and Lansing.
The Village of Tinley Park reported several 911 calls around 7 a.m referencing an odor of natural gas that could be smelled outside. Tinley Park officials said the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana is investigating.
Officials in Lansing on the Indiana and Illinois border say a statement was issued by the BP refinery in Whiting, confirming a leak from a storage tank on their property last week.
The statement said the lingering smell is due to their ongoing clean-up efforts.
Residents in Oak Forest also smelled the odor. Nicor Gas representatives said they were investigating, but they are not experiencing any service outages in connection with the incident.
BP's complete statement is included below:
"On the afternoon of January 18, 2024, bp’s Whiting refinery experienced a leak from a storage tank at the refinery’s tank fields. As of early January 19, the leak was stopped and contained within the tank confinement area. Emergency response and operations crews immediately began cleanup efforts.
Notifications were made to required local and state regulatory entities. The refinery continues to operate normally.
We are aware that some in the surrounding communities may be experiencing odors while cleanup work at the tank confinement area is taking place. Operation crews are working around the clock to rapidly clean up the impacted area and are undertaking additional measures to try to mitigate the odors as they continue cleanup efforts."
Earlier this month, residents in Chicago's north and northwest suburbs reported an unusual smell of natural gas in the air.
Authorities traced the source of the odor to equipment undergoing maintenance in Cedar County, Iowa.
Natural gas is naturally odorless. As a safety measure for detection, mercaptan is added, which gives natural gas an odor often associated with rotten eggs. Mercaptan will naturally dissipate and poses no harm to the community.
This story is developing. Check back for updates