A Pipeline Rupture Has Created Scattered Gasoline Shortages in Alabama; Georgia Hit Hard / UPDATED With Cherokee County Info

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According to reports, Colonial Pipeline could restart line 1 sometime later in the week – and that means Alabama motorists may have to deal with scattered gasoline outages for several more days.

A rupture in the pipeline just south of Birmingham, measuring some three feet in diameter, was discovered last week by an inspector with the Alabama Surface Mining Commission.

The pipeline, which was built in 1963 normally pushes approximately 1.3 million barrels of gasoline a day to points across the east coast.

We’ve had reports of many outages across the state line, ranging from Floyd and Chattooga counties all the way up through Lafayette and toward Ringgold.  Locally WEIS Radio visited a number of gasoline outlets across Cherokee County Monday morning – with the responses from the owners and operators ranging from one extreme to the other.

Some reported no anticipated disruption in service; some said they were currently running low on supply and would likely run out later today – they also stressed that refill orders are already in place; others are already out of certain grades, primarily regular – and some have only diesel available.  Still others say they feel they’ll be able to meet the needs of the public – however they stressed that people should NOT panic and OVER buy saying filling up every vehicle, and portable gas can you own, simply isn’t necessary.

Gasoline supplies are currently being shipped by alternate route throughout the southeast.

A temporary bypass line is currently being constructed to allow the flow of fuel to resume – with that line expected to be between 500 and 700 feet long.

An estimated spill amounting to around 336,000 gallons of gasoline, was reported in Shelby County.

Federal, state and local authorities say, at this time, vapors from the spill do not pose health threats to residents located near the work zone.

We’ll keep you updated as this story continues to develop.

(Information provided in part by al.com/www.al.com)

 

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