The incident was the second time in two months the company had to close the crucial supply line to the U.S. East Coast, prompting gasoline prices to spike on fears of shortages.

Gasoline futures for December were up about 16 cents, or 11.1 percent, at $1.58 per gallon at 8:05 a.m. EDT.

Earlier in the session, the contract jumped as high as $1.6351, its highest since early June.

A nine-man crew was conducting work on the Colonial pipeline system at the time of the explosion, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley told a briefing. Seven of the workers were injured, with two evacuated by air.

The explosion occurred when the crew hit the gasoline pipeline (Line 1) with a track hoe, Colonial said an e-mailed statement late on Monday.

The 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline is the largest U.S. refined products pipeline system and transports gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the New York Harbor area.</s>HELENA, Ala. (AP) — Executives at a pipeline company say their goal is to restart the line as early as this weekend after an explosion and fire shut down gasoline shipments to millions across the South.

The deadly explosion sparked a geyser of fire Monday and closed off the vital pipeline, raising fears of another round of gas shortages and price increases. It’s Colonial Pipeline’s second accident and shutdown in two months.

Continuing fires in the drought-stricken area of central Alabama hampered officials’ efforts to fully assess the damage Tuesday afternoon, and firefighters built an earthen berm to contain the burning fuel.

The accident happened when a dirt-moving machine struck the pipeline, ignited gasoline and sparked a blast Monday, killing one worker and injuring five others, the Georgia-based company said.

Four of the injured remained hospitalized, Colonial spokesman Bill Berry said Tuesday afternoon in nearby Helena, Alabama. UAB Hospital, where the injured were treated, declined to release information on them, citing requests by their families for privacy.

Another worker was treated for less severe injuries and released from a hospital, Berry said.

As much as 168,000 gallons of gasoline could have burned, spilled, evaporated or remained in the pipeline, the company said.

The explosion happened a few miles from where the pipeline sprung a leak and spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline in September. After the leak, the company used one of Colonial’s two main lines to move gasoline as it made repairs, but it still led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made.

Contractors were working on repairs related to the September leak when gasoline ignited and spread fire to the pipeline, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said Tuesday.

The nine-member crew was using a track hoe to excavate the pipeline so permanent repairs from the September leak could be made, Colonial Pipeline executive Gerald Beck said.

The pipeline provides nearly 40 percent of the region’s gasoline and usually runs at or near full capacity. Together, Colonial’s two lines carry more than 2 million barrels of fuel a day.

By mid-day Tuesday, Colonial Pipeline said it was able to restart the second of its two main lines, which carries diesel and jet fuel.

The severity of the gasoline shortage will depend on how long the gasoline pipeline remains closed, AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said.

“We would encourage drivers not to panic, so don’t run to the gas station and start filling up every gas can you can,” said AAA spokeswoman Tamra Johnson.

After the September leak, Colonial said it made up some of the gasoline shortfall by sending gas through the line that usually carries diesel and jet fuel. The company has not said whether it will do so again.

From 3,000 feet in the air, a flame could be seen still burning in a haze of smoke Tuesday when an AP photographer flew over the site.

Photographer Brynn Anderson said the blackened earth and a large area of charred trees are surrounded by other trees awash in fall colors just beyond the burned area.

In 2003, the EPA fined Colonial $34 million for gross negligence after it spilled almost a million gallons of diesel in South Carolina, polluting waterways in four states. The company also agreed to spend $30 million to upgrade environmental protections on its pipeline system.

Since 2006, the company has reported 178 spills and other incidents that released a combined 193,000 gallons of hazardous liquids and caused $39 million in property damage. Most were caused by problems with materials, welding or some other equipment failure, according to federal accident records reviewed by The Associated Press.

The company paid $381,000 in penalties for violating safety rules during the same period.

Associated Press Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed. Jay Reeves reported from Helena, Alabama; Jeff Martin reported from Atlanta.</s>Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency Tuesday after a gas pipeline explosion killed a worker, injured five others, and sent thick black smoke over a forest in the northern part of the state.

The blast on Monday shut down the pipeline that supplies gasoline to millions of people for the second time in less than two months, raising concerns over possible gas shortages and price hikes.

PIPELINE BLAST MAY CREATE 'EPIC PROBLEM' FOR DRIVERS



Bentley's action means that for the time being, truckers carrying gasoline won't be subject to the limits on hours they may drive that apply under normal circumstances.

Governors in other states took similar actions after a leak in the Colonial pipeline in Alabama last month led to gasoline shortages across the South, as trucks carrying gasoline help make up some of the shortfall caused by the closed pipeline.

Monday's explosion unfolded when a track hoe -- a machine used to remove dirt -- struck the pipeline, igniting gasoline.

Four of the injured remained hospitalized, Colonial spokesman Bill Barry said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference in nearby Helena, Alabama. He had no updates on their conditions or the severity of their injuries. Another worker was treated at the scene, Barry said.

The September leak that spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline occurred not far from the location of Monday's explosion. That leak led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made.

NEARLY $1 MILLION POURS IN FOR ND ANTI-PIPELINE PROTEST, BUT IT MAY NOT LAST

The contractors were working on repairs related to the September leak when gasoline ignited and spread fire to the pipeline, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said Tuesday.

The nine-member crew was using the track hoe to excavate the pipeline as part of preparation work so that permanent repairs from the September leak could be made, Colonial Pipeline executive Gerald Beck said. The machine struck the pipeline, touching off the explosion, he said.

The Colonial pipeline provides nearly 40 percent of the region's gasoline and usually runs at or near full capacity. Together Colonial's two lines carry more than 2 million barrels of fuel a day.

By mid-day Tuesday, Colonial Pipeline said it was able to restart the second of its two main lines, which carries diesel fuel and jet fuel. However, the company added that it anticipates that the main gasoline line will be closed the rest of this week.

Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, operates 5,599 miles of pipelines, transporting more than 100 million gallons daily of gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil and other hazardous liquids in 13 states and the District of Columbia, according to company filings.

Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of the state where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading.

Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews built a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the blaze had been contained but it was unclear how long the fire may take to burn out.

Two wildfires caused by the explosion burned 31 acres of land, Vansant said.

"We'll just hope and pray for the best," Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement.

Houses around the blast scene were evacuated, and sheriff's Capt. Jeff Hartley said it wasn't clear when people might be able to return home.

Eight or nine subcontractors were working on the pipeline when it exploded about 3 p.m. Monday, sheriff's Maj. Ken Burchfield told Al.com. The conditions of those hurt weren't immediately known.

"Colonial's top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on site and protection of the public," the company said in a brief statement.

In North Carolina, the governor and attorney general, who are political rivals, responded to worries about gasoline prices following the explosion. Attorney General Roy Cooper reminded residents that North Carolina's price gouging law remains in effect. Gov. Pat McCrory urged citizens not to participate in panic buying.

McCrory, a Republican, and Cooper, a Democrat, are rivals in the 2016 governor's race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Gas prices have started to creep up in the Southeast after a fatal explosion shut down a vital pipeline earlier this week.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas was up 3 cents a gallon in Georgia and nearly 2 cents a gallon in South Carolina, according to data from AAA collected on Tuesday.

The rise came even as national prices were essentially unchanged at $2.21 a gallon, and that figure was slightly distorted by a 23-cent increase in the state gas tax that took effect in New Jersey.

Gasoline futures prices rose 6.5 cents in trading Tuesday, suggesting even higher pump prices could be on the way. But those futures were down sharply from highs earlier in the day, when traders were afraid the pipeline blast might disrupt supplies for weeks.

The Colonial Pipeline, which runs from refineries in Houston all the way to terminals in New Jersey, ruptured Monday when an Alabama construction crew hit it with a piece of heavy equipment.

The explosion killed one worker, injured five others and sent a huge plume of flames and smoke into the sky. The pipeline company said it expects to reopen the pipeline by Saturday.

But in the underground interstate system that is the nation's pipeline network, the Colonial Pipeline is I-95, providing an irreplaceable pathway for more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and other refined products a day.

And its closure is expected to cause shortages in the Southeast. When the same pipeline was shut for 11 days in September to repair a leak, hundreds of stations in the region ran out of gas and prices spiked by as much as 28 cents a gallon in Georgia.

Related: How often do pipelines blow up?

"You have basically ruptured the aorta of East Coast gasoline supplies," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with the Oil Price Information Service, which tracks prices for AAA.

Governors in Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina issued orders Tuesday waiving some limits for fuel truck drivers in efforts to avoid shortages and prevent prices from skyrocketing.

Related: Spills are more common thanks to aging pipelines

Despite the pipeline rupture, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal urged the public to "maintain regular consumption levels and travel schedules."</s>The page design helps me understand the news no yes

The page design helps me find the content I’m interested in no yes

Rate your overall experience 1 2 3 4 5

How can we improve this page?</s>A nine-man crew was conducting work on the Colonial pipeline system at the time of the explosion, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley told a briefing. Seven of the crew members were injured, with two evacuated by air.

The explosion occurred when a contract crew hit the gasoline pipeline (Line 1) with a trackhoe, igniting gasoline, Colonial said an e-mailed statement late on Monday.

One worker died at the scene and five individuals were taken to Birmingham-area hospitals for treatment, the company said.

Four were taken to the UAB hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, hospital spokesman Adam Pope said.

A segment of pipeline was undergoing maintenance on Monday afternoon when it exploded. The fire had been contained as of around 9 p.m. (0100 GMT on Tuesday), according to local media reports.

Crews built a 8-foot (2-meter) tall dirt dam to contain burning fuel, Bentley said on Twitter late on Monday.

The explosion sparked wildfires, burning 32 acres, the governor said.

Colonial said company personnel and emergency crews were responding to the incident. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, said it had personnel on the way to the site.

Bentley's office said on Twitter the site was about a mile west of a massive leak last month that closed the gasoline pipeline for over 12 days. A 3-mile (4.8-km) area around the site had been evacuated, the governor said.

A temporary flight restriction is in effect in the area around the pipeline explosion, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency said on Twitter.

Colonial, the biggest refined products system in the United States, is responsible for supplying about one-third of the 3.2 million barrels per day of gasoline consumed on the East Coast, according to U.S. Energy Department data.

Colonial was working to restart a section of pipeline damaged after its biggest leak of gasoline in nearly two decades on Sept. 9, which released as much as 8,000 barrels (336,000 gallons) of gasoline in Shelby County. The restart was planned for mid-November after removal of a bypass line installed after the September leak.

The pipeline closure drove up gasoline prices at the pump in the U.S. Southeast and on futures markets.

On Monday, U.S. gasoline futures jumped as much as 13 percent to $1.6351 a gallon, their highest since early June, following news of the explosion. Futures pared gains thereafter, falling by about 6 cents, or 3.7 percent.

The 5,500-mile (8,850-km) Colonial Pipeline is the largest U.S. refined products pipeline system and transports gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the New York Harbor area. The pipelines that shut run from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina.

It has already had five spills reported in Alabama in 2016, including the one in September, according to PHMSA data.

Pipeline safety has come under increased scrutiny in recent months following a dispute over Energy Transfer Partners' 1,100-mile (1,770-km) North Dakota Access Pipeline.

The U.S. government halted construction on a segment of that pipeline in early September following protests from Native Americans who said the pipeline could desecrate sacred grounds and that spills could contaminate drinking water.</s>HELENA, Ala. (AP) — Executives at a pipeline company say their goal is to restart the line as early as this weekend after an explosion and fire shut down gasoline shipments to millions across the South.

The deadly explosion sparked a geyser of fire Monday and closed off the vital pipeline, raising fears of another round of gas shortages and price increases. It’s Colonial Pipeline’s second accident and shutdown in two months.

Continuing fires in the drought-stricken area of central Alabama hampered officials’ efforts to fully assess the damage Tuesday afternoon, and firefighters built an earthen berm to contain the burning fuel.

The accident happened when a dirt-moving machine struck the pipeline, ignited gasoline and sparked a blast Monday, killing one worker and injuring five others, the Georgia-based company said.

Four of the injured remained hospitalized, Colonial spokesman Bill Berry said Tuesday afternoon in nearby Helena, Alabama. UAB Hospital, where the injured were treated, declined to release information on them, citing requests by their families for privacy.

Another worker was treated for less severe injuries and released from a hospital, Berry said.

As much as 168,000 gallons of gasoline could have burned, spilled, evaporated or remained in the pipeline, the company said.

The explosion happened a few miles from where the pipeline sprung a leak and spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline in September. After the leak, the company used one of Colonial’s two main lines to move gasoline as it made repairs, but it still led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made.

Contractors were working on repairs related to the September leak when gasoline ignited and spread fire to the pipeline, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said Tuesday.

The nine-member crew was using a track hoe to excavate the pipeline so permanent repairs from the September leak could be made, Colonial Pipeline executive Gerald Beck said.

The pipeline provides nearly 40 percent of the region’s gasoline and usually runs at or near full capacity. Together, Colonial’s two lines carry more than 2 million barrels of fuel a day.

By mid-day Tuesday, Colonial Pipeline said it was able to restart the second of its two main lines, which carries diesel and jet fuel.

The severity of the gasoline shortage will depend on how long the gasoline pipeline remains closed, AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said.

“We would encourage drivers not to panic, so don’t run to the gas station and start filling up every gas can you can,” said AAA spokeswoman Tamra Johnson.

After the September leak, Colonial said it made up some of the gasoline shortfall by sending gas through the line that usually carries diesel and jet fuel. The company has not said whether it will do so again.

From 3,000 feet in the air, a flame could be seen still burning in a haze of smoke Tuesday when an AP photographer flew over the site.

Photographer Brynn Anderson said the blackened earth and a large area of charred trees are surrounded by other trees awash in fall colors just beyond the burned area.

In 2003, the EPA fined Colonial $34 million for gross negligence after it spilled almost a million gallons of diesel in South Carolina, polluting waterways in four states. The company also agreed to spend $30 million to upgrade environmental protections on its pipeline system.

Since 2006, the company has reported 178 spills and other incidents that released a combined 193,000 gallons of hazardous liquids and caused $39 million in property damage. Most were caused by problems with materials, welding or some other equipment failure, according to federal accident records reviewed by The Associated Press.

The company paid $381,000 in penalties for violating safety rules during the same period.

Associated Press Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed. Jay Reeves reported from Helena, Alabama; Jeff Martin reported from Atlanta.</s>A fatal explosion along a crucial gasoline pipeline Monday could cause widespread gasoline shortages in the Southeast United States and result in higher prices up and down the East Coast.

"You have basically ruptured the aorta of East Coast gasoline supplies," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with the Oil Price Information Service, which tracks prices for AAA.

Spot gasoline futures spiked 13 cents a gallon in early trading Tuesday. "Increases at the pump will happen fairly quickly," said Kloza.

The Colonial Pipeline, which runs from refineries in Houston all the way to terminals in New Jersey, ruptured Monday when an Alabama construction crew in Shelby County, Alabama hit it with a trackhoe. That caused an explosion that that killed one worker, injured five others and sent a massive plume of flames and smoke into the sky. It's the second time the pipeline has been shut down in the last two months.

Related: Spills are more common thanks to aging pipelines

In the massive underground interstate system that is the nation's pipeline network, the Colonial Pipeline is I-95, providing an irreplaceable pathway for more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and other refined products a day.

The pipeline's previous shutdown in September, after workers discovered an underground leak, only stopped the flow in one of the two pipelines that carry the gasoline. This accident has closed both pipelines, meaning the problem will be more widespread.

"From where we sit right now, with both lines down, it could be worse than September," said Tamra Johnson, spokesperson for AAA. At the time, prices in the Southeast spiked as much as 28 cents a gallon.

This time the price hikes could reach all the way to New York and New Jersey, which were spared higher prices in September thanks to alternative supplies in the region. The increases will come on top of a 23-cent a gallon state gas tax increase which went into effect in New Jersey on Tuesday.

It's doubtful that the the Northeast will be hit with the shortages that are likely to return to the Southeast. But Kloza said there are concerns that the shutdown could last longer this time, perhaps weeks instead of the 11 days it was closed in September.</s>HELENA, Ala. (AP) — For the second time in two months, a pipeline that supplies gasoline to millions of people was shut down, raising the specter of another round of gas shortages and price increases.

The disruption occurred when a track hoe — a machine used to remove dirt — struck the pipeline, ignited gasoline and caused an explosion Monday that sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over a forest in northern Alabama, Colonial Pipeline said. One worker was killed and a half-dozen were injured.

A September leak that spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline occurred not far from the location of Monday’s explosion. That leak led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made.

The cause of the leak still has not been determined, and the effects of the latest disruption weren’t immediately clear.

Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, operates 5,599 miles of pipelines, transporting more than 100 million gallons daily of gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil and other hazardous liquids in 13 states and the District of Columbia, according to company filings. Authorities have not said which type of fuel was involved in the explosion Monday.

Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of the state where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading.

Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews built a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said the blaze had been contained but it was unclear how long the fire may take to burn out.

Two wildfires caused by the explosion burned 31 acres of land, Vansant said.

“We’ll just hope and pray for the best,” Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement.

Houses around the blast scene were evacuated, and sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Hartley said it wasn’t clear when people might be able to return home.

Eight or nine subcontractors were working on the pipeline when it exploded about 3 p.m. Monday, sheriff’s Maj. Ken Burchfield told Al.com. The conditions of those hurt weren’t immediately known.

“Colonial’s top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on site and protection of the public,” the company said in a brief statement.</s>Early Tuesday morning, first responders and fire departments were tending to injuries at the pipeline, in Shelby County, Alabama, following an explosion and fire. At least one person is reported dead and several others are injured.

The other expected consequence of the explosion is gas shortages and prices increases.

Stephanie Milani, the Tennessee Public Affairs Director with AAA — the Auto Club Group, shared some information about what these increases and shortages might look like.

“On Monday, the state average was $2.03 and had just recovered from the gas price hikes we saw from the pipeline closure in September,” Milani said in a statement. "The explosion will at least temporarily put a halt to the declining pump prices we've experienced over the past 30 days."

AAA said the shutdown of the pipeline’s 1 and 2 lines are in response to what they’re calling an “integrity event.”

“An extended shutdown of both lines would have a major impact on supplies and prices from the Gulf Coast to East Coast,” the organization’s release read. “In September-October, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic (regions) faced supply run outs, with unbranded retailers bearing the brunt of the tight supply. The Southeast had to rely on long-distance truck deliveries from as far as Chicago and waterborne fuel deliveries.”

The result of the leak in September was an average gas price increase of 28 cents in Georgia and 17 cents in Tennessee.

Going into this week, AAA reported the state average of $2.03 was 10 cents higher than last year, but 11 cents lower than the previous week — still fighting back from the earlier September event at the Colonial Pipeline.

For the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, the average was $2.02, which was down from $2.07 the previous week and $2.11 the previous month, but up from $1.88 last year at this time.

Email Tony Casey at tcasey@johnsoncitypress.com. Follow Tony Casey on Twitter @TonyCaseyJCP. Like him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tonycaseyjournalist.
Robert J. Bentley, the Governor of Alabama, declares a state of emergency following Monday's gas explosion in a Colonial Pipeline pipeline. The explosion killed one person and injured five.