Crews worked early Friday to stop a methane leak at an inactive CONSOL Energy mine in Monroe County.

Officials with Ohio's Environmental Protection Agency said the incident happened at the former Powhatan Point Mine No. 4 on Cane Ridge Road. Officials said the methane as released because outside air pressure dropped. The pressure in the mine was greater than atmospheric pressure, causing a fairly loud release from a 4-inch pipe.

The methane gas release did not involved high-pressure natural gas transmission lines, which are nearby.

EPA officials said the noise got neighbors' attention around 11 p.m. Thursday, but authorities weren't contacted until around 1 a.m. About 16 homes were evacuated as a precautionary measure, partly out of concern for the nearby high-pressure transmission lines. Residents were permitted to go back home around 10:30 a.m. Friday.

By that time, CONSOL was already in the process of resolving the issue. The line was capped to abate the methane release so there would be no public safety issues.

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