Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency Friday night after a California pipeline that carries gas to Las Vegas and Phoenix shut down, the Las Vegas-Review Journal reported.
The pipeline leak triggered panic gas buying in the Las Vegas Valley according to a local CBS affiliate, and locals reported that some gas stations were empty. Around 205 gallons of gasoline leaked from a pipeline at a pumping station in Long Beach, California according to the Las-Vegas Review Journal. (RELATED: Experts Say There May Be An Impending Fuel Shortage On The East Coast)
Tonight, I declared a state of emergency to help mitigate the impact of the California fuel pipeline leak in Southern Nevada.
Please see the executive order and my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/rLKpgtUGQQ
— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) February 11, 2023
Kinder Morgan, the pipeline operator, told The Associated Press that the leak was discovered Thursday, and that its pipelines were shut down while they worked to resolve the issue. According to Clark County, only one of two major pipelines that feed the Las Vegas area was shut down.
“We are currently monitoring the situation, believe we have adequate supply, and do not anticipate an immediate impact on gas availability,” read a statement in Fox5 Vegas released by Clark County spokesperson, Erik Pappa.
Clark County also declared a state of emergency in coordination with Gov. Lombardo.
Updated statement from Clark County.#ClarkCounty Declares Fuel Emergency.
This is in the wake of the leak in a Kinder Morgan gas pipeline in So. California. pic.twitter.com/3RUJIPTUy7
— Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) February 11, 2023
According to a Jan. 6 report by the Las Vegas-Review Journal, Nevada has the fourth-most expensive gas in the nation.