WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Alabama Governor Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency due to the explosion of an oil pipeline in the state’s Shelby County, a press release said Tuesday.
“Governor Robert Bentley on Tuesday declared a State of Emergency for Alabama due to an explosion and fire of a Colonial Pipeline in Shelby County on Monday,” the release stated.
The emergency declaration will help the state get a waiver from the US Department of Transportation so that truck drivers hauling gasoline can remain on the road longer than normally allowed under federal regulations.
The release noted that the state of emergency is scheduled to last until December 1.
Six people were killed and one injured Monday when a Colonial Pipeline contractor hit an underground transmission line, causing an explosion and fire. The contractor had been working to repair damage caused when the pipeline ruptured on September 9.
