Posted on 10/31/2016 2:56:25 PM PDT by lafroste
A massive plume of smoke is filling the skyline after a gas pipeline exploded in Helena, Alabama according to CBS42. Fire units are headed to the scene, according to McAdory Fire Station #2. Alagasco has stated that the fire is from a petroleum line. According to the Shelby County Sheriff's office, the blast was on the Colonial Line, with 8-9 people injured. The Sheriff adds that the blast happened during crew work.
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
This is the same county where there was a leak a few months ago (where I grew up).
Leftist Greenies, or excessive deferred maintenance?
It’s going to get worse. Wait and see.
I’m glad I topped off my tank this afternoon. Our prices still haven’t fully recovered from the last time.
Damn.... Colonial just restarted this line in Sept. I’m assuming this problem
occurred where the disruption was back then.
Mile west
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/10/reported_gas_line_explosion_se.html
According to public safety radio reports, seven people were severely burned. A UAB Hospital spokesman confirmed three patients are already at UAB, three more are coming by ambulance, and one more is coming by air.
8 or 9 subcontractors were working on the Colonial gas pipeline when it exploded, Shelby County sheriff’s Maj. Ken Burchfield confirmed. Colonial has now shut down both pipelines running through the area.
“The fire will not be out any time soon,” Burchfield added.
The explosion was reported to be in the 300 block of Grey Hill Road in the area of River Road and Highway 13. Firefighters from the Bessemer, Birmingham, Indian Ford and McAdory departments are assisting.
Colonial has now shut down both pipelines running through the area. This explosion is about five miles west from a recent Colonial Pipeline gasoline leak.
Shelby County EMA officials are on the scene along with Shelby County sheriff deputies and pipeline officials. Roadways in the area will remain closed to all but local traffic to allow emergency personnel easy access.
“Typically we don’t see external damage to a pipeline from ground-level activity, whether it’s human or weather-related, except for some third party striking the pipeline with a piece of excavation equipment,” Brigham McCown, former administrator of the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration told AL.com last month.
“That’s now the leading cause of pipeline spills and accidents.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
A North Dakota pipeline protest got pretty violent the other day.
I'd guess sabotage before I'd fault the workers.
Upthread is a post which pretty strongly suggests that it was the pipeline workers who screwed up. “8 or 9 subcontractors were working on the Colonial gas pipeline when it exploded, “
True, but protesters cannot do nearly as much damage as incompetent pipeline workers.
libertylover's third law of troubleshooting: if something stops working that was working before and you changed something nearby, even if you think it's not related at all, chances are you caused the new problem.
Prayers for the injured workers. I knew one smelter mechanic who was burned as badly as this sounds. A pretty rough life if one survives.
prayers for those injured
Amen. Prayers up!
These days, ones’ first thought always seems to be that some sort of foul play has caused the problem.
Less than 10 miles from me...no real details yet.
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