Pipelines resume operations after fuel leak that prompted Nevada state of emergency
By Rebekah Riess, Kaylene Chassie and Melissa Alonso, CNN
Energy infrastructure company Kinder Morgan announced Saturday it has resumed operations after a leak was detected this week in a California gasoline pipeline that supplies unleaded and diesel fuel to storage facilities in southern Nevada.
Kinder Morgan spokeswoman Katherine Hill said in a statement that “restart activities are complete for Watson Station’s associated SFPP West and CalNev pipelines, and they have resumed operations.”
Hill said earlier Saturday that the company expects “pipelines to resume operations this afternoon and begin delivering fuel to their respective market areas later today.”
The leak, detected on Thursday, had prompted Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo to declare a state of emergency overnight.
The declaration allows the state to receive federal resources and waivers as it deals with the pipeline repair time line and finds alternative fuel sources.
Kinder Morgan’s latest statement said the company had “isolated the source of the release within our Watson Station in Long Beach, California.”
Nye County, Nevada, tweeted Saturday, “Systems are now coming back online” and “fuel should be flowing within a few hours.”
Officials cautioned residents against panic buying while service is being restored.
No injuries or fire were reported from the leak, Hill told CNN.
“At approximately 4 p.m. Pacific Time Thursday, Kinder Morgan began investigating a release inside its Watson Station in Long Beach, California,” Hill said.
The pipelines in-valves “have been isolated and shut down while we work to resolve this issue,” said a company statement.
“The appropriate regulatory agencies have been notified, and an investigation into the cause and quantity of the release will be conducted. We are working closely with our customers on potential impacts,” said the statement.
“Kinder Morgan operates approximately 3,000 miles of refined products pipeline that serves Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Texas,” according to the company.
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