Smell Something? Workers Release Natural Gas Near PCH Crack, City Says

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Beach residents or motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway in South Orange County may hear a hissing sound or smell natural gas Wednesday due to a controlled release of natural gas.

People living or traveling along Pacific Coast Highway near Laguna Beach may hear a hissing sound or smell natural gas Wednesday due to a controlled release of natural gas, according to the City of Laguna Beach.

SoCalGas began performing the controlled release from a section of pipeline along PCH near Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove Tuesday evening, according to spokesman Brian Haas.

"The operation is necessary to support CalTrans construction activities to mitigate coastal erosion and land movement in the area," Haas said. "At this time, there are no reported natural gas service impacts or outages in the affected area."

SoCalGas crews planned to monitor conditions as they reduce pressure in the pipeline, which should be completed by 7 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

Any customer who thinks they might have a natural gas leak was urged to call SoCalGas at 800-427-2200.