Gas leak contained, no public health issues reported

Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Crews worked throughout the Tuesday night at the scene of a gas leak at a pipeline in Knightsville. Officials confirm there are not public health concerns at this time.
IVY JACOBS photo

UPDATED @ 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, 2019

No injuries have been reported during an accidental release of natural gasoline from a local pipeline in Knightsville.

“We take this very seriously,” said Shane Pochard, a public information officer from Marathon Pipe Line, a subsidiary company with Marathon Petroleum Corporation headquartered in Ohio. “We will be here a couple of days to make sure the recovery and clean up efforts are completed.”

Officials have confirmed this is not a natural gas leak.

Pochard said there has not been any danger to the public because of the accidental release of what was initially announced as an estimated 300 barrels or less of natural gasoline due to a small breach in the pipeline.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, Pochard confirmed the number of barrels leaked to be 112.

Pochard explained barrels are used as the standard in the industry for measuring natural gasoline when moved in pipelines, gallons are used when consumers are at the gas pumps at stations.

Continuous testing of the air and water quality testing since the start of the incident have all come back clear.

Pochard said five wild ducks have been found dead, with the possibility that two more might have been affected but they have left the area. No other environmental impact is reported.

“There are no public concerns at this time,” said Pochard. “We have notified all the agencies at the state and local level and are working with them.”

A local homeowner contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Department early Tuesday morning about the strong smell of gasoline near their home. Almost simultaneously Marathon’s pipeline monitoring equipment in Ohio determined a leak around 5:40 a.m. Marathon officials immediately shut down the pipeline, which is part of the RIO Pipeline that runs from Lima, Ohio to the Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Robinson, Ill. Soon after, Pochard said local authorities contacted the company about a report of the strong smell in a small wooded area in a cornfield across from Cloverleaf Healthcare of Knightsville.

Although the pipeline was immediately shut down, the flow of the fuel continued for a short while before workers were able to repair the pipe and ultimately stop the leak Tuesday evening.

Pochard said crews will be in the area a few more days to ensure the recovery/clean up process is completed, with the main priorities of ensuring the safety of the public and crews working in the area, as well as protecting the environment.

The Brazil Times will update this story when official information is made available.

==============First report

No injuries have been reported during an accidental release of gasoline from a local pipeline in Knightsville.

“We take this very seriously,” said Shane Pochard, a public information officer from Marathon Pipe Line, a subsidiary company with Marathon Petroleum Corporation headquartered in Ohio. “We will be here a couple of days to make sure the recovery and clean up efforts are completed.”

Pochard said there has not been any danger to the public because of the accidental release of an approximated "300 barrels or less of gasoline" due to a small breach in the pipeline.

Continuous testing of the air and water quality testing since the start of the incident have all come back clear.

Pochard said five wild ducks have been found dead, with the possibility that two more might have been affected but they have left the area. No other environmental impact is reported.

“There are no public concerns at this time,” said Pochard. “We have notified all the agencies at the state and local level and are working with them.”

A local homeowner contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Department early Tuesday morning about the strong smell of gasoline near their home. Almost simultaneously Marathon’s pipeline monitoring equipment in Ohio determined a leak around 5:40 a.m. Marathon officials immediately shut down the pipeline, which is part of the RIO Pipeline that runs from Lima, Ohio to the Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Robinson, Ill. Soon after, Pochard said local authorities contacted the company about a report of the strong smell in a small wooded area in the cornfield across from Cloverleaf Healthcare of Knightsville.

Although the pipeline was immediately shut down, the flow of the fuel continued for a short while before workers were able to repair the pipe and ultimately stop the leak Tuesday evening.

Pochard said crews will be in the area a few more days to ensure the recovery/clean up process is completed, with the main priorities of ensuring the safety of the public and crews working in the area, as well as protecting the environment.

The Brazil Times will update this story when official information is made available.

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  • It's not gasoline, nor is it 300 barrels. It's gallons and it's natural gas! Geez people get it right!

    -- Posted by goliath on Wed, Apr 3, 2019, at 1:18 PM
  • Is it natural gas or auto gasoline?

    -- Posted by nobob on Fri, Apr 5, 2019, at 11:31 PM
    Response by Ivy Jacobs, Reporter, Brazil Times:
    Officials explained at the scene of this incident this IS NOT NATURAL GAS. Natural gasoline and natural gas, according to the officials, are two separate products. (The reporter was also slightly confused and asked for clarification.)

    Natural gasoline, as they explained in basic terms, is a crude form of gasoline that has not finished the refinery process to become the fuel purchased at gas stations.

    This explains why the pipeline was going to a refinery in Illinois. Hope this helps.

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