Officials of a gasoline pipeline company were asked to attend Tuesday’s Township Committee meeting to explain why a portion of the pipeline apparently cracked where it goes under Route 206 at New Amwell Road.
About 25 gallons of gasoline was found leaked, said David Boone, public relations officer for the incident management team for Buckeye Pipe Line Company, based in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania., which owns the pipeline, which ordinarily transports about 140,000 barrels of refined petroleum products per day from Linden to Macungie, Pennsylvania.
Numerous reports by residents who smelled gasoline in residences and businesses over the weekend prompted state and local officials to investigate the sanitary sewer system in the area Monday.
Monday, fire services were asked to stand by while crews dug underground to find the leak in the pipeline. Crews found soil that has been contaminated with gasoline.
Mr. Boone said there was a leak in the 20-inch pipeline, which is surrounded by a 24-inch concrete conduit. Contaminated soil was being removed, and the air was being monitored for possible safety hazards, Mr. Boone said. If necessary, the company will install monitoring wells after the fact, he said. Pressure was not lost in the line, he said.
The company can measure loss because it meters flows into and out of the line, he said.
The search and repair may cause delays in traffic on Route 206, but Mr. Boone said there was no danger. Township Emergency Management Coordinator John Sheridan said it was “a significant enough hazard” to warrant services standing by.
In addition to local police, on the scene Monday and through the night into Tuesday were Fire Company No. 2, Hillsborough’s Office of Emergency Management, Somerset County OEM deputy coordinator, Somerset County Chief of HazMat and state Department of Environmental Protection.
Other services that are involved in this operation included the township fire safety office, the Hillsborough Township Municipal Utilities Authority and DPW.
Grecco Construction is handling the excavating and repairs.

