HELENA, Ala. (AP) — 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.
FYI: A run at pumps in TN, SC, NC, GA, VA, AL will likely compound the problem, make #gasprices higher & lead to less availability.
— Patrick DeHaan (@GasBuddyGuy) September 16,
2016
GasBuddyanalyst Greg Laskoski said North Carolina has seen a nearly two cents per gallon increase in the last 24 hours. He said southeastern states including North Carolina can see anywhere from a five to 10 cents per gallon increase in the next week.
Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama has declared a state of emergency in order to facilitate the granting of a United States Department of Transportation waiver. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has also issued a state of emergency.
Colonial is based in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta. It operates about 5,500 miles of pipeline from Houston to New York City, which includes the one located in Greensboro, NC.
Map shows Colonial gasoline pipeline (Photo: Colonial Pipeline Co.)