A thousand gallons of gasoline was mistakenly put into the kerosene pump at Pumpkin Center near Harlem early Sunday morning, Columbia County Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker said in an e-mail tonight.
Fire crews are making sure the kerosene pump is locked down so it can't be used, but some customers have already pumped from the tank, believing the product to be kerosene.
It is believed that three customers pumped a total of nine gallons, Tucker said. One of those customers discovered that it was gasoline and notified the store, which notified authorities. The customer had pumped four gallons, leaving five gallons unaccounted for.
"Every effort is being made to locate those two customers, including call-outs in that area, looking at store video, etc.," Tucker said.
Anyone who pumped from the kerosene tank should not use it, she said. If gasoline is used in kerosene heaters, an explosion will likely occur.
Comments
It looks to me like Ms Tucker and her agency are are doing all they can other than making the deliveries to the gas stations themselves. I'm sure the truck driver who did it is facing some justice (and looking fo a new job). Is that the guy/gal you were worried about getting away scot-free? Since Mr Oxendine's name is on the sticker on every gas dispensing device, maybe we can get him too, huh? You've lost your touch, the comments aren't even creative any longer.
This is a job for.......
This is a very serious situation. Let's hope no one is injured because of it. The liabilities here are tremendous.
Justus, details are lacking because the purpose of this article was not to inform the public of who is responsible. It is to try and notify the two people who bought gas by mistake before they use it. Duh.
If everyone (including Me from this point on) ignored Justus4, would he just dry up and blow away?
Yes news, he would hopefully give up. BUT.. That will NEVER happen, because no matter what he posts, someone ALWAYS has to answer back to it. Like a disease or something..
I pray they find the other people quickly!!
Pam Tucker is doing all that she can to find the 2 people that purchased the other 5 gallons. I live in this area and got a phone call last night from Columbia County Emergency Services alerting us of the error and the possibility of an explosion and the request to contact the CC Sheriff's Dept if we had purchased any kerosene from this location. I was very glad to have gotten this call, although I believe the calls only come into landline phones, but not exactly positive on that. It is on the news and the radio as well hoping these people will get the message before using the gas. I hope for all involved, these people can be located rather quickly.
I'm glad to see Pam Tucker, Director of Emergency Services, being proactive and trying to contact those who bought the gas. Maybe we can stop them before they try to use it. If not let's hope they sense something is wrong with the "kerosene." Good thinking, Pam. :)
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