Gas

The 200 block of East Washington Street in Hagerstown was closed to traffic Thursday morning while officials investigated a natural gas leak, a Washington County Emergency Services dispatcher said. The block had reopened to traffic by 9:20 a.m., but a crew remained on the scene. The dispatcher said the leak was reported at 7:53 a.m.

With summer less than a week away, national and area gas prices continue to drop, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic weekend gas watch. The national average for regular grade gas is down to $3.54 a gallon this week, while in Hagerstown, it is $3.44 per gallon. The prices are down from $3.59 and $3.50 a gallon, respectively. The weekly average in Hagerstown was also at $3.44 a gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Price Finder. The Liberty Gas Station at the intersection of Robinwood Drive and Jefferson Boulevard was selling regular grade gas at $3.35, mid-grade at $3.45 and 93-octane premium grade at $3.55 per gallon.

A panel studying the impact of natural gas drilling in Western Maryland is getting more time to produce its second set of recommendations. Chairman David Vanko said Tuesday that Gov. Martin O'Malley has given the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission until Dec. 31 to produce a draft report on the best practices used elsewhere to extract gas by hydraulic fracturing. That would be followed by a public comment period, with the final report on best practices due Aug. 1, 2013. That report would otherwise have been due this August.

As the summer approaches, the national average price for a gallon of regular grade gasoline has dropped for the eighth consecutive week, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic weekend gas watch. It is now at $3.59 this week, while in Hagerstown, it is $3.50 per gallon. That is down from $3.65 and $3.56, respectively, from last week, and $3.79 a gallon for both at the same time last year. The average in Hagerstown Tuesday dropped to $3.48 per gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Price Finder.

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, gasoline prices continue to slide. The national average for regular grade gas dropped for the sixth consecutive week down to $3.69 from $3.73 per gallon, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic Weekend Gas Watch. It was $3.89 a gallon at this time last year. The price continues to fall in the Hagerstown area, where the average is now $3.59 per gallon, down from $3.63 last week and $3.90 this time last year. The average on Wednesday in the area was $3.57 per gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Price Finder at midatlantic.aaa.com.

Continuing its downward slide, the national average for regular grade gasoline dropped from $3.82 to $3.78 per gallon this week after peaking at $3.94 earlier this spring, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic Weekend Gas Report. For the second week, the average is lower than it was a year ago after it went 910 days at the same price or higher than the previous year. This week, it is lower by 20 cents, with the national average at this time last year at $3.98 a gallon. In and around Hagerstown, the price of gas dropped 11 cents from $3.84 per gallon, down to $3.73, which is lower than the national average.

Breaking a 910-day streak, the national average price for gasoline was less this week than at the same time last year -   the first time that's happened since October of 2009, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic Weekend Gas Report. The national average for regular grade gas continues to drop, hitting $3.82 per gallon this week, down from $3.86 last week and $3.91 a year ago, the report said. In and around Hagerstown, it was $3.84 per gallon, down from $3.90 last week. On Wednesday, the local average dropped even further to $3.77 per gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Price Finder at midatlantic.aaa.com.

Gas prices are continuing to drop nationally and locally, indicating the possibility that they have peaked for the year, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic weekend gas report. The national average for regular grade gas this week was $3.86 per gallon, down from $3.91 last week, the report said. It also dropped from $3.92 to $3.90 in Hagerstown, and the state average dropped from $3.97 to $3.91, the report said. The average in Hagerstown on Tuesday was about $3.89 per gallon.

Copper thieves caused a gas leak that prompted Hagerstown officials to evacuate about 40 people from the 200 block of North Locust Street on Thursday, city police and fire officials said. Fire Capt. Adam Hopkins said at the scene that firefighters were called at 11:33 a.m. for a report of gas and water leaking in a vacant house at 212 N. Locust St. When firefighters arrived, they measured an explosive level of gas. An investigation determined that the gas leak was caused by burglars who cut copper pipe at the vacant house, according to a Hagerstown Police Department news release.