The pipeline company working to fix a leak that led to gas shortages and higher prices for drivers across the South says its bypass fix is complete.
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Since Friday, more than 1,000 people have filed complaints to report possible price gouging at gas stations across North Carolina, according to the NC Attorney General’s Office.
Baker said crews have been working around the clock to get fuel to markets, and that it will take a few days for the fuel supply chain to fully recover after the line restarts.
Alabama state workers discovered the leak September 9 when they noticed a strong gasoline odor and sheen on a man-made retention pond, along with dead vegetation, according to a report by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The main pipeline, Line 1, brings gasoline from refiners on the Gulf Coast to multiple delivery locations in the southeast and mid-Atlantic.
Still, some motorists discovered bone-dry pumps.
AAA reports Tuesday that Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also saw prices climb since Monday.
Gov. Pat McCrory activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to the temporary shortage.
“The leftovers that aren’t guaranteed, that’s the least focus of any oil company”, DeHaan said by phone from Chicago. While some select grades are running low at some stations, overall most stations seem to have gas or one sort or another. “That causes more problems than anything, especially during the next 24 hours”.
Several counties in North Carolina have been reporting intermittent fuel outages or low supplies, but numerous outages are because of people topping off their tanks and extra fill ups, he added. “We look forward to returning to business as usual in the near future”. The leak’s impact has been particularly severe in six Southeastern states that rely on the pipeline for a significant portion of their gasoline. Gas prices spiked and drivers found “out of service” bags covering pumps as the gas shortage in the South rolled into the work week, .
The spill sent thousands of gallons of gasoline pouring into a retention pond at the site of an old mine, but no fuel made it into the nearby Cahaba River, in part because of locally dry weather.
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Average gas prices in Charlotte are up 3 cents from Monday and up 19 cents from a week ago, according to auto group AAA.
