GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A portion of Buford Highway has been reopened following a potentially dangerous hazmat situation.
Crews worked Thursday afternoon to contain a potentially explosive situation underground. The road was closed for about three hours from Langford Road to Old Norcross Road.
The fire department was called out to the area after a county crew smelled gasoline inside a sewer.
Firefighters took readings inside manholes where they said gasoline was leaking into the sewer system.
Officials said they found a high gas reading in the sewer at the CITGO station nearby. A hazmat team was on the scene, and police were diverting traffic.
Witnesses said they could smell gas.
“As I was running across the street, there was a big, heavy gas smell,” said worker David Kwon. “I started running even faster once I smelled that. I hope it’s all under control.”
Initial testing in the sewer system revealed elevated readings of gasoline vapors, but those numbers have since decreased.
Hazmat worked with county and state officials to find the source of the gasoline. It is unknown whether the nearby gasoline storage tanks at CITGO are contributing to the problem.
Several area businesses were asked to shelter-in-place as a precautionary measure. There were no evacuations and no injuries reported.
“You see in the movies and you see explosions because of gas leaks,” said Kwon. “You hope that’s not the case.”
WSBTV
