Gasoline is flowing once again through a pipeline that carries fuel to several southeastern states. But, it could still be several days until fuel delivery is back to normal.
Crews worked day and night for nearly two weeks constructing a 500-foot bypass off a broken gas pipeline. Officials with Colonial Pipeline – the company that owns and operates the gas line – have restarted the flow following a series of tests to measure the integrity of the bypass.
A leak in the pipeline – that funnels gas from Texas to New Jersey – was discovered on September 9. Officials say it could still be several days before markets return to normal. Many states in the southeast – including Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas – may continue to experience gas shortages as a result.
Officials say they are still days away from figuring out the cause of the leak and environmental groups continue to monitor the cleanup effort.
More than 330,000 gallons of gas leaked from a buried pipeline into a containment pond in a rural area south of Birmingham. Colonial Pipeline continues to cleanup the spill.
Federal and local environmental groups are keeping a close watch on this effort. An organization that monitors the Cahaba River, the main source of drinking water for the Birmingham metro area, says the leak has had no impact on the river or any other waterways at this point. They cite the location of the leak and a lack of rain as factors.
The leak was spotted on Sept. 9, but the cause is still unknown as crews have yet to dig up the broken pipe.