One year after biggest gasoline spill in NC history, cleanup continues in Huntersville

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — This week marks one year since the biggest gasoline spill in North Carolina history.

More than one million gallons of gasoline spilled from a Colonial Pipeline pipe in a Huntersville nature preserve.

Colonial has spent the last year trying to contain the spill all while trying to reassure neighbors that they’re doing all they can to make sure they’re safe.

Channel 9 met with Colonial officials on Tuesday to discuss more about the cleanup process and how much gasoline has been recovered.

Past coverage:

• Settlement reached in massive Colonial Pipeline gasoline spill in Huntersville
• Teens who found major Colonial Pipeline leak in nature preserve speak to Channel 9
• Huntersville leaders honor teens who discovered major gas leak
• Colonial Pipeline VP takes Channel 9 to Huntersville spill and recovery site
• DEQ finds several ‘deficiencies’ Colonial Pipeline needs to fix at Huntersville gasoline spill site
• No evidence of contamination in well water after massive gas leak, officials say
• DEQ: Gasoline spill in Huntersville bigger than Colonial Pipeline estimated
• Neighbors voice concerns after huge Colonial Pipeline gasoline spill in Huntersville
• Size of pipeline gasoline spill again underestimated in Huntersville

A year ago two boys on ATV’s discovered the leak that we now know amounted to 1.2 millions of gasoline.

Since then, Colonial spokeswoman Meg Blackwood said the company has created a network of almost three hundred wells that measure, contain and clean up the spill.

“So we have monitoring wells installed, and they act as our eyes and ears underground and they tell us the way that the product is flowing and if it has remained,” Blackwood said.

When asked if the spill has been contained, Blackwood said, ”Generally speaking the release has remained within this location from where the release occurred -- yes.”

Colonial told Channel 9 it has spent $30 million on the clean up so far. Officials said they have bought two of the houses that are closest to the spill site and they’ve gone door to door to smooth over tensions with neighbors.

Huntersville’s Mayor John Aneralla said he trusts the state and county engineers who’ve overseen the clean up. He also said he wants Colonial to update the public on the cleanup at a meeting next month.

For months, regulators had to push for more accurate numbers because they said the company’s initial assessment was inaccurate.

To help address that issue, Colonial said it has run more than 500 tests on the water in wells in the area to check for gasoline and none has been found.

Colonial reached a settlement agreement that would avoid most penalties, but the state and residents still have the option to sue.

>> More information on the Colonial Pipeline spill can be found here.

(WATCH BELOW: Settlement reached in major Colonial Pipeline gasoline spill in Huntersville)

Settlement reached in major Colonial Pipeline gasoline spill in Huntersville

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