On October 31, 2016, a gasoline pipeline exploded in Shelby County, Alabama. The resulting casualties included: the death of one pipeline worker and the injury of five others. According to Alabama’s Governor Robert Bentley, 32 acres of woodland were burned and residents living within a 3-mile radius were evacuated. The explosion raises concerns about health, safety and the increasing price of gasoline.
 
The Trigger of the Explosion
According to the owners of the pipeline, Colonial Pipeline, the explosion was triggered when the pipeline was struck with a backhoe. The company has been in the midst of building a bypass for the pipeline, but during the construction the line was compromised. When the pipeline was hit, gasoline ignited and caused a fire to blaze. To help mitigate and contain the blazing fire, responders built an 8-foot high and 80-foot long earthen berm.
 
The explosion resulted in one fatality at the scene and five injured individuals who were rushed to Birmingham-area hospitals for treatment. On Colonial Pipeline’s website regarding the incident, they sent out a message regarding the loss and injuries, “Our deepest condolences go out tonight to the family and friends of the person who was lost today, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured.”
 
But this is not the first incident of Colonial Pipeline – this past September their pipeline was ruptured and 250,000 gallons of gasoline leaked out. The incidents occurred a few miles away from each other, but it still remains unclear if the two incidents are related.
 
Issues that Alabama Faces
Since the explosion, Colonial Pipeline had to temporarily suspend the broken line, also known as Line 1. Because of society’s demands for gasoline, the state may face supply disruptions resulting in a price hike in gasoline. To feed society’s demands, the governors of Alabama, Georgia, and North Caroline have given executive orders to waive the transportation of motor fuel in their states via commercial trucks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also altered the Clean Air Act to help the company with contingency plans for the shipment of gasoline to consumers.
 
Another problem that Alabama faces is drought and their vulnerability to wildfires. The governor has gone so far as issuing a burning ban throughout the state. Even before the pipeline explosion, the Alabama Forestry Service told local news the severity of the drought and their time spent fighting forest fires. Just last month Alabama experienced more than 1,000 wildfires. The current climatic state of Alabama raises questions about safety and the vulnerability of the pipeline in this time of drought.
 
The pipeline also puts humans and wildlife at risk. The Colonial Pipeline website states that “no environmental impacts have been observed to date”, but it may be too soon to know the long term effects of the explosion. Nearby waterways to the explosion include the Cahaba River and Shades Creek. Soil and other surrounding wildlife still need to be observed and evaluated. The pipeline was also built close enough to residential communities that an evacuation was needed when the line was ruptured. Air quality continues to be monitored to understand the effects of the explosion. Overall, concerns are raised about how the pipeline negatively affects environmental and human health in Alabama.
 
Because of society’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels, large infrastructure has been built to supply consumers. In Alabama, the Colonial Pipeline Company supplies gasoline to consumers throughout the state. But since the pipeline’s rupture and explosion, it may be time for society to re-evaluate their reliance on fossil fuels. Their gas supply is now unstable, Alabama’s drought compromises the safety of the pipeline, and environmental and human health are continually put at risk.