HELENA, Ala.—Work crews are trying to repair a pipeline that has spilled more than 250,000 gallons of gasoline in a rural area near Birmingham.
Colonial Pipeline says most of the gas is contained in a retention pond near the city of Helena, and there’s no public safety concern.
But while workers have sealed the leaking part of the pipeline, a spokesman says there’s a possibility some fuel could still be released. Crews are both removing spilled gas and working to fix the pipeline.
The spill was first detected on Sept. 9, but it’s unclear exactly when it first occurred. State and federal environmental officials are on the scene.
….because oil pipelines near rivers are so safe… #WaterIsLife Oh, and the “state of emergency” is because of… https://t.co/v65OWm6UOx
— Gail Parsons Eddy (@Gail_Eddy) September 16, 2016
Colonial is based in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta. It operates about 5,500 miles of pipeline from Houston to New York City.
According to AL.com, both Alabama and Georgia declared a state of emergency after the spill.
“Based on current projections and consultations with industry partners, parts of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina will be the first markets to be impacted by any potential disruption in supply,” Colonial Pipeline said in a statement. “Colonial has briefed officials in these states and will continue to provide timely information to the public so that they can plan accordingly.”
Epoch Times contributed to this report.
