Updated: Jay Pipeline Leak Locks Down School; DEP Completing On Site Assessment

February 2, 2015

Schools in Jay were placed in emergency mode  and Highway 89 was shut down Monday afternoon for a brief period  after a brine leak from a pipeline about a mile from Jay High School.

A resident of Watermill Road reported hearing an explosion just before 1:30 at or near an oil well on nearby Escambia Avenue. Responding Jay Volunteer firefighters, from a distant staging area, could see the leak flowing from the ground upon their arrival.

Quantum Resources was notified and the leak area was immediately shut down.  The the situation was quickly resolved, according to Sarah Whitfield, a spokesperson for Santa Rosa County, and no threat remains.

The lockdown at the schools was lifted and Highway 89 reopened with a matter of minutes. There were no injuries reported.

Staff from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection responded to the site. Initial assessments indicate less than two barrels of brine was spilled. There have been no impacts to surface waters. There was no explosion, but due to high pressure flow lines, a loud noise may have been heard at the time of the leak, according to Dee Ann Miller, spokesperson for the Florida DEP.

The flow line has been depressurized until repairs can be made and DEP inspections are complete.

Pictured: A file photo aerial view of a Quantum Resources facility on Escambia Avenue near Watermill Avenue in Jay. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “Updated: Jay Pipeline Leak Locks Down School; DEP Completing On Site Assessment”

  1. DavidHuieGreen on February 3rd, 2015 8:01 am

    REGARDING BRINE:
    (per my buddy, Wiki)
    “Brine is a solution of salt (usually sodium chloride) in water. In different contexts, brine may refer to salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, or the lower end of solutions used for brining foods) up to about 26% (a typical saturated solution, depending on temperature).”

    David for dill pickles

  2. Not the first time on February 3rd, 2015 7:07 am

    This seems like an all too frequent occurrence in Jay. I Googled oil spill and saw results for 3 leaks since July 2014. That’s more than enough for me to worry about this being a safety issue. My grandmother lives in Jay and she had no idea that this happened yesterday. Why is the public not notified? I have enough concern with the city water supply when I see her water test results. Jay has a very poor water quality rating and I have to wonder if it’s because of the oil wells.

  3. well on February 2nd, 2015 9:46 pm

    If you’ve ever heard a high pressure line blow, then you know explosion would be a pretty good description.
    And assuming it took maybe 10 minutes for firemen to respond this pressurized line only flows about 10 gallons a minute. 2 barrels spilled

    Not a likely scenario. Would expect a larger spill.

  4. Rufus Lowgun on February 2nd, 2015 3:12 pm

    Pipelines leak. They always leak. When they leak, the company running the pipeline usually lies about it. Remember that the next time the Keystone XL pipeline comes up as a topic of conversation.