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Alabama Pipeline Break Causing Gasoline Shortages In The South, Governors Declaring States Of Emergency

By Louis Babcock
Published on: 03:56 PST, Sep 17, 2016

A ruptured gasoline pipeline in Alabama is causing gas runs in the region according to The Guardian. The break has caused over 300,000 gallons of gas to leak in Alabama. The pipeline, which runs from Houston, Texas, to Linden, New Jersey, has caused people in the region to rush to nearby gas stations to make sure they have fuel. This run on fuel is causing gas stations in the region to run out of their supply.

Due to the potential of fuel shortages because of the break, governors in the region are declaring states of emergency. These states include Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina. During a state of emergency, rules can be suspended and implemented. One rule that has been suspended due to the state of emergency has to do with the amount of hours truck drivers can drive. Truckers are now able to drive longer hours in order to make sure that tgasoline can be delivered to the places in the region that need it. In Alabama, the state of emergency has caused a law to go into effect that will not allow gas stations in the state to raise their prices uncontrollably.

“It is unlawful for any person within the State of Alabama to impose unconscionable prices for the sale of any commodity during the period of a declared State of Emergency.”

WSFA is reporting on the executive order in Virginia written by Governor Terry McAuliffe allowing a state of emergency to be declared.

“The shutdown of this pipeline may result in gasoline supply disruptions to various retailers throughout the Commonwealth, since the pipeline is the only source of gasoline into Virginia for many of these retailers. While current gasoline reserves in the Commonwealth are sufficient to address any immediate supply concerns, it is necessary, in accordance with § 44-146.17, that the Commonwealth take appropriate measures to prevent any resource shortage occasioned by this disaster.

According to CNN, the break will not be repaired until next week. In order to ensure supply to the region is not interrupted, a ship full of gasoline has left Texas and is on its way to New York to ensure the New York region does not run out of supply.

On Twitter, tweets are being sent from people who live in the region. They are talking about how the break is impacting them during their state of emergency.

From an ecological standpoint, the area of the break happened in an area that has limited damage to the ecosystem. The Cahaba river was spared from any gasoline runoff due to the gasoline pooling in a retention pond used by a mining company. James Pinkney, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency commented on the leak.

“You really couldn’t have planned it any better than this. There are no homes nearby, and it’s fully contained. It’s so fortunate.”

Myra Crawford, executive director at Cahaba Riverkeeper also commented on how lucky the river is ecologically.

“Along the way it would have impacted all the wildlife living in it and drinking from it. And plants like the Cahaba lilies – this is one of the only remaining sites where they are found. It could have been so destructive.”

Is your region currently in a state of emergency? How is the break impacting you?

[Featured Image By AP Photo/Mark Humphrey]

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