Nicor warns of potential gas smell in Richmond area Wednesday during odorant transfer

Nicor Gas announced that people in the Richmond and Spring Grove area might notice the smell of natural gas on Wednesday because of work being done by the utility company.

Nicor said it will be transferring natural gas odorant, called mercaptan, at the natural gas station in the area. During the transfer, it’s possible that excess smell of the odorant – an odor often likened to that of rotten eggs – could be detected.

This odor will naturally dissipate and poses no harm to the community, Nicor said in a news release.

Natural gas is naturally odorless; the odor is added as a safety measure so that it’s more easily detectible should there be a leak. Although any excess odorant release Wednesday is not associated with a gas leak, Nicor said it will respond to and investigate any natural gas odor reports from residents as a safety precaution.

If residents suspect a natural gas leak, they are strongly encouraged to call 888-NICOR-4U, or 888-642-6748. For information on how to detect natural gas leaks, go to nicorgas.com/safety.

In early January, a natural gas smell permeated McHenry County and a wide swath of Northern Illinois. The smell was eventually traced to maintenance work being done in eastern Iowa that wafted into Illinois.