A pipeline leaked an unknown amount of ethane out onto Highway 108 in Sulphur on Friday, prompting state police to close both sides of the road to oncoming traffic. No injuries were reported, said Sgt. James Anderson, state police Troop D spokesman.

The line, owned by the Tulsa, Okla.-based Williams, leaked when workers excavating in the area hit a small valve, which released the ethane shortly before 7 p.m., said Dick Gremillion, director of the Calcasieu Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Gremillion said he could not confirm if the excavators were Williams employees.

“No shelter-in-place was reported,” Gremillion said. “There are no houses nearby, so the only preventative measures authorities had to take was to shut down the road.”

Carlyss firefighters sprayed a water curtain onto the leak to keep the ethane vapors from coming up into the air. Fire departments from Westlake and Lake Charles brought in water tankers since no fire hydrants exist in the area, Gremillion said.

“They have to wait for the remaining pressure to bleed down from the pipe before they can fix the valve,” he added.

“They shut down both sides of the line, which is the typical thing you do when you have a pipeline leak.”

Gremillion said the valve was small but could not confirm how much ethane spilled out onto the highway.

The pipeline is operated by the Houston-based Boardwalk Pipeline Partners. Joe Hollier, spokesperson for Boardwalk, said none of the company’s employees were doing any work on the line when the leak occurred.

Sara Delgado, spokesperson for Williams, could not be reached for comment.(American Press Archives)

Rick Hickman