Ala. Gas Pipeline Reopens After Explosion

Service to New York City restarted early Sunday
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 6, 2016 9:39 AM CST
Ala. Gas Pipeline Reopens After Explosion
A fog of smoke covers the outlining trees near an explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Helena, Ala. The pipeline explosion occurred Monday.   (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

The company that owns a gasoline pipeline that exploded in Alabama last week says the pipeline is back in service. Colonial Pipeline Co. says service was restarted at 5:45am Sunday, reports the AP. The pipeline transports gasoline from the Gulf Coast to New York City. It exploded Monday while a crew was making repairs related to a September gas spill. Government officials and Colonial Pipeline have said a piece of excavation equipment hit the pipeline, causing the explosion, but further details haven't been released. Shelby County Deputy Coroner Lina Evans said Anthony Lee Willingham, 48, of Heflin, Ala., died in the blast. Four other people were injured and remained hospitalized. Colonial said it began excavating Wednesday night at the site, about 25 miles southwest of Birmingham, Ala.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the pipeline rupture, conducting interviews, documenting the site and surrounding area and collecting physical evidence, the agency said in a news release. The investigators also plan to travel to Colonial's office in Alpharetta, Georgia, to speak to operations and engineering staff, review control room operations and collect data and documents. Since Monday's explosion, gas prices rose 7 cents in Georgia and 2 cents in Tennessee, Garrett Townsend with AAA in Georgia said in an emailed statement; restarting the line should help ease concerns about supply. (More gas pipelines stories.)

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