City of Brookhaven orders Google Fiber placement work to stop after workers damage gas main – WSB-TV Channel 2

BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Just days after a Google Fiber crew rammed a gas line near an elementary school in Dekalb County, the city of Brookhaven has ordered a stop-work order for the company.

On Monday, city officials confirmed that on Dec. 13, a crew installing Google Fiber in the Ashford Dunwoody Road right-of-way encountered a gas line near Montgomery Elementary School, forcing school administrators to lock down the school while firefighters rushed to the scene.

The following day, city officials issued a citywide stop-work order in response to safety concerns.

(DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for breaking news alerts)

“The health and safety of our residents is our top priority,” said District 1 Councilman Michael Diaz. “Especially when we are dealing with young children. As a civil engineer, I look forward to learning how Google Fiber plans to address our citywide issues.”

“We fully understand that a local community like Brookhaven can only take so much action against utilities, but with public safety in mind, we must take a stand,” District 2 Councilmember Jennifer Owens added.

“Google Fiber still has a lot of work to do in Brookhaven and we need to pause and improve security before we move forward.”

TRENDING STORIES:

This latest incident comes nearly two weeks after Channel 2 spoke with frustrated homeowners who claimed the company damaged their water pipes and left them without water for hours.

It is unclear when work will resume.

On Monday afternoon, a Google Fiber spokesperson released the following statement:

“Google Fiber takes construction issues very seriously and follows local guidelines throughout the process, including locating existing utilities before work begins. We are working with appropriate authorities to resolve the incident in Brookhaven. “Residents can call (877) 454-6959 at any time with any construction issues, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said a Google Fiber spokesperson.

(SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter)

©2024 Cox Media Group