Colonial Announces Construction Of Temporary Pipeline

That pipeline is one of two major pipelines that sends gas from Texas to NY, supplying much of north Georgia.

Colonial gave no timetable Saturday as to when that bypass line would be completed or what path it would take, the Associated Press reported.

A week ago, the average price for gas was $2.05 per gallon. A second executive order was issued Friday that waived additional trucking restrictions and protected consumers from price gouging. “In the meantime, my executive orders remain in effect to protect motorists from excessive gas prices and minimize any interruptions in the supply of fuel”.

Fuel supplies in at least five states are threatened by a gasoline pipeline spill in Alabama. Colonial Pipeline officials said they expect to have the bypass in place sometime this week.

Late Sunday afternoon, photos from the company showed some bypass pipes were delivered to the site.

The pipeline, operated by Colonial Pipeline, was shutdown September 9 after 250,000 gallons near Birmingham, Alabama spilled into the area.

It’s not yet known when the spill actually started, but company officials said at least 250,000 gallons of gas spilled as a result of the leak. An energy analyst told the AP that some stations could temporarily boost their prices by 20 or 30 cents a gallon as they run short on supply.

“We have a pipeline burst and there’s a shortage, so I’m trying to fill up”, another person said. She said she tried to get gas at several pumps at the service station before finding one that had gas flowing.

Colonial Pipeline says it is beginning construction of a temporary pipeline that will bypass the leaking section of its main gasoline pipeline in Shelby County, Alabama.

Tennessee Emergency Management Director Patrick Sheehan tried to reassure drivers.

Experts say there’s no need to panic or rush out to buy gas. “That’s what he has reserved in the tanks now”, Issa said.

Quik Trip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said several stations in SC were seeing outages. About 700 people are now working on the project, the company said.

The company said it is shipping as much gasoline as possible on its distillate mainline, Line 2, in order to mitigate the impact of the pipeline that has been shut down.

“Our first priority is maintaining public safety”, said public safety secretary Frank L. Perry.

However, prices are expected to jump again Monday as more stations across the metro area experience spotty outages caused by a broken pipeline in Alabama.

Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency, but for the “limited purpose” of suspending caps on the hours fuel truck drivers can work.

Environmental contractors and the Environmental Protection Agency are continuing to monitor the Cahaba River and a tributary, Peel Creek. That requirement of the Clean Air Act expired at midnight Thursday.