LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After local drivers began panic buying gas after a leak in a California gas pipeline was revealed, officials from the company that operates the pipeline say the leak has been "isolated" and the line has "returned back to normal working order."
Officials with Kinder Morgan, the pipeline's operating company, told KTNV on Saturday that the cause of the leak is still under investigation, though any issues resulting from the leak have been resolved as of 2 p.m. on Saturday.
According to company officials, the 16-inch pipeline is the primary method of shipment for fuel from California to Las Vegas. On average, it carries around 127,000 barrels of fuel every 24 hours to the main depository near Nellis Air Force Base.
On Friday evening, long lines were spotted at various gas stations across the Las Vegas valley spotted after news of the pipeline's leak spread throughout the community. While some local drivers continue to panic buy gas into the weekend, other drivers, such as Kima Larue, say the long lines are making regular fill-ups much more time-consuming.
Larue tells KTNV that she waited 20 minutes in line at the Circle-K gas station on Spring Mountain and Arville Street.
"It's crazy," she said. "I just left the gas station at Flamingo and Jones — no cars can even get in. That's why I came this way and stopped here…and still had to wait."
Gov. Joe Lombardo issued a state of emergency on Friday, shortly after the news about the pipeline first broke. In a statement on Saturday, the Governor said the state of emergency will remain in effect until emergency management partners are able to confirm fuel transportation has returned back to normal.
Gov. Lombardo added, if anyone encounters price-gouging during the state of emergency, they should contact his office and file an official complaint.
When KTNV reached out to a representative, Kinder Morgan said they "remained focused on addressing the issue" but did not have anyone available for comment.
Read the full statement from Gov. Joe Lombardo below:
My office has received notice from Kinder Morgan that they have resumed pumping and that the gas pipeline is operational. I’m thankful for Kinder Morgan’s timely response, and I’m grateful for the work of our local, state, and federal partners that enabled us to move quickly to mitigate the impact of this fuel leak in Southern Nevada.
For Nevadans concerned about price gouging, the link to direct complaints is listed here: https://ag.nv.gov/Complaints/File_Complaint
