A fugitive emission detection system (10, 100), comprising: a valve (12, 112, 212) comprising a housing defining a passageway (16, 116, 216) and having a leak port (28, 128, 244) formed therein which fluidly communicates with the passageway (16, 116, 216); a valve stem extending at least partially through the passageway (16, 116, 216) a primary packing (22, 122, 222) and a secondary packing (24, 124, 224) disposed within the passageway (16, 116, 216) and a lantern ring (26, 126) which is disposed between and thus separates the primary packing (22, 122, 222) and secondary packing(24, 124, 224); the leak port (28, 128, 244) fluidly communicating with the passageway (16, 116, 216) at a location between the primary packing (22, 122, 222) and the secondary packing (24, 124, 224); characterized in an on-off valve fluidly connected to the leak port (28, 128, 244), the on-off valve being in a normally open position and selectively movable to a closed position; the normally open position of the on-off valve resulting in any fluid leaking past the primary packing (22, 122, 222) normally flowing from the location of the passageway (16, 116, 216) between the primary and secondary packings (22, 122, 222, 24, 124, 224) so as to not pressurize the secondary packing (24, 124, 224); a leak detection unit fluidly connected to the on-off valve; and a programmable logic unit electrically connected to the on-off valve and the leak detection unit; the logic unit being operative to selectively actuate the on-off valve from the open position to the closed position in response to a signal generated by the leak detection unit indicative of a leak within the valve attributable to flow of a fluid from the passageway (16, 116, 216) into the leak detection unit via the leak port (28, 128, 244). a valve (12, 112, 212) comprising a housing defining a passageway (16, 116, 216) and having a leak port (28, 128, 244) formed therein which fluidly communicates with the passageway (16, 116, 216); a valve stem extending at least partially through the passageway (16, 116, 216) a primary packing (22, 122, 222) and a secondary packing (24, 124, 224) disposed within the passageway (16, 116, 216) and a lantern ring (26, 126) which is disposed between and thus separates the primary packing (22, 122, 222) and secondary packing(24, 124, 224); the leak port (28, 128, 244) fluidly communicating with the passageway (16, 116, 216) at a location between the primary packing (22, 122, 222) and the secondary packing (24, 124, 224); characterized in an on-off valve fluidly connected to the leak port (28, 128, 244), the on-off valve being in a normally open position and selectively movable to a closed position; the normally open position of the on-off valve resulting in any fluid leaking past the primary packing (22, 122, 222) normally flowing from the location of the passageway (16, 116, 216) between the primary and secondary packings (22, 122, 222, 24, 124, 224) so as to not pressurize the secondary packing (24, 124, 224); a leak detection unit fluidly connected to the on-off valve; and a programmable logic unit electrically connected to the on-off valve and the leak detection unit; the logic unit being operative to selectively actuate the on-off valve from the open position to the closed position in response to a signal generated by the leak detection unit indicative of a leak within the valve attributable to flow of a fluid from the passageway (16, 116, 216) into the leak detection unit via the leak port (28, 128, 244).