• Sight: Liquid pools, discolored or abnormally dry soil, continuous bubbling in wet or flooded areas, an oily sheen on water surfaces, and vaporous fogs or blowing dirt around a pipeline area can all be indicative of a pipeline leak. Dead or discolored plants in an otherwise healthy area of vegetation or frozen ground in warm weather are other possible signs.
• Sound: Volume can range from a quiet hissing to a loud roar depending on the size of the leak.
• Smell: An unusual smell, petroleum odor, or gaseous odor will sometimes accompany a pipeline leak. Natural gas is odorless and remains so during transit to the distribution facilities where odorants are added to the gas to impart a distinct odor.
  

What does the pipeline company do in the event a leak were to occur?
In order to prepare for the event of a leak, pipeline companies regularly communicate, plan and train with local emergency personnel such as fire and police departments. Upon the notification of an incident or leak, either by the pipeline company’s internal control center or by phone, the pipeline operator will immediately dispatch trained personnel to assist public safety officials in their response to the emergency. Pipeline operators and emergency responders are trained to protect life, property and facilities in the case of an emergency. Pipeline operators will also take steps to minimize the amount of product that leaks out and to isolate the pipeline emergency.