Gas leak forces Fairfax Co. business closures

Workers at the apparent source of pipeline leak in Centreville. (WTOP/John Aaron)
Workers at the apparent source of pipeline leak in Centreville. (WTOP/John Aaron)
(WTOP/John Aaron)
(WTOP/John Aaron)
(WTOP/John Aaron)
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Workers at the apparent source of pipeline leak in Centreville. (WTOP/John Aaron)

WASHINGTON — The cleanup process is ongoing in Centreville after a leaking pipeline dumped thousands of gallons of gasoline into a drainage area.

The leak, which originated near the intersection of Route 28 and New Braddock Road and was discovered Monday, has since been stopped, according to Bill Berry of Colonial Pipeline Company, which operates the pipeline. However, gasoline that made it into the drainage area has led to precautions at a nearby shopping center.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue has set up a mobile command center in the parking lot, where a strong smell of gasoline remained days after the leak started. Contractors are working to flush out and vacuum up the spilled fuel from a wooded area next to the shopping center around Multiplex Drive.

The leak has forced the temporary closure of a Bonefish Grill and a Chipotle. Sweetwater Tavern closed but has since reopened.

The Environmental Protection Agency says more than 3,200 gallons of gasoline have been recovered.

The large, 32-inch pipeline can transport multiple types of fuel and was carrying gasoline from North Carolina to the Baltimore area at the time of the leak, according to Berry.

He says there have been no injuries or illnesses as a result, and workers will be testing air quality and taking soil samples to determine the environmental impact of the spill. Workers from the EPA have been at the scene as well. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the leak.

John Aaron

John Aaron is a news anchor and reporter for WTOP. After starting his professional broadcast career as an anchor and reporter for WGET and WGTY in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, he went on to spend several years in the world of sports media, working for Comcast SportsNet, MLB Network Radio, and WTOP.

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