Broken pipeline causing spotty gas outages in metro Atlanta

Some gas stations across metro Atlanta are experiencing spotty gas outages because of a broken Colonial pipeline.

The pipeline is one of two key pipelines that brings gas to metro Atlanta from New Orleans. One of the pipelines developed a leak in Shelby County, Alabama, last Friday. The disruption came right at the time stations were starting to switch over from the summer to the winter fuel blends.

Gov. Nathan Deal took immediate steps to fix the problem and make sure you are still able to fill up.

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Deal asked the Environmental Protection Agency for a special waiver to allow stations to make that switch now instead of later so they would have access to more gas quicker, thereby avoiding those outages.

The EPA agreed in a letter Thursday morning.

“The EPA has determined that it is necessary to take action to minimize or prevent disruption of an adequate supply of fuel,” the letter said. %

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Angela Holland, the president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, said she appreciates the governor working with them and thinks his quick actions will avoid any more of those spotty gas outages.

“It's the retailers’ No. 1 priority to make sure they have the products that the motoring public needs, which is fuel,” she said.

You may see some stations that have some outages, but authorities say hopefully those will be few and far between.

Cox Media Group