Alabama Governor Praises Pipeline Company’s Response to Leak

ATLANTA— Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said gas prices in parts of the state rose 20 cents over the weekend after a pipeline leak, but he didn’t consider that price gouging.“It changes overnight sometimes that much,” he said.Bentley toured Colonial Pip...

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks to the media during a news conference, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Hoover, Ala. Bentley issued a state of emergency in Alabama after a pipeline spill near Helena, Ala. Gas prices spiked and drivers found "out of service" bags covering pumps as the gas shortage in the South rolled into the work week, raising fears that the disruptions could become more widespread. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

ATLANTA—Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said gas prices in parts of the state rose 20 cents over the weekend after a pipeline leak, but he didn’t consider that price gouging.

“It changes overnight sometimes that much,” he said.

Bentley toured Colonial Pipeline’s emergency response center, in a luxury resort hotel about 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the pipeline breach, and spent much of a news conference Monday praising the company’s response.

A disaster drill was held coincidentally last year near the scene of the spill, he said, and that helped the company plan and execute a response that included about 700 people so far.

A sign informs customers of a gas outage at a station in Smyrna, Ga., Sept. 19, 2016. AP Photo/David Goldman