A gas leak has led to a pipeline being closed in the Birmingham area, putting gas suppliers in a slight bind. This is causing many gas shortages all along the East Coast. The Colonial Pipeline in Shelby County, Alabama has been closed since September 9. There has been a 250,000-gallon leak in the area. This pipeline provides fuel for 50 million people on the East Coast.
Full service at the pipe won’t be restored until next week. The gas prices could go up by up to 15 cents. Remember to report any major price gouging. There has already been a State of Emergency declared in Alabama in Georgia. They are treating this like they would a natural disaster.
Cahaba Riverkeeper David Butler said:
“It’s really pretty fortunate where it is, it’s in a pretty contained area, and it’s been so dry here that most of the little perennial streams are pretty dry right now so there’s not really a lot of potential at this point for it to migrate toward the river.”
The people at the Colonial Pipeline said this in a statement:
“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 has briefed officials in these states and will continue to provide timely information to the public so that they can plan accordingly.”
Yesterday, people here in my town were buying a lot of gas in a panic. Some gas stations have closed because of it. They may panic just like they did in the 2011 tornadoes. During that event, people were freaking out and stocking up on supplies. Hopefully, it won’t get as crazy here. Since we still have power, for now, we will be okay. Sometimes, people overreact in these situations.
Here is a news clip about the pipeline:
Featured image by Mike Mozart via Flickr, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
