July 3, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Gas Leak Causes Evacuation of Shopping Center

An unattended delivery truck rolled into an above ground gas meter behind the Brookshires grocery store, 5828 Line Avenue, causing it to rupture just before 9:30 a.m. this morning. Hector Lopez, 36, driving for Catfish Wholesale out of Abbyville, stated that he had parked his refrigerated delivery truck behind the grocery store in a dirt area just off a back service road. Lopez then stated that he then went into the store to find someone to take the delivery, when the truck, parked on a slight southern decline, rolled into the gas meter. The parking brake may have not been set or failed to operate. The resulting gas leak forced the evacuation of the entire Uptown Shopping Center where Brookshires shares space with other retailers and businesses. Fire Officials estimate that between 60 to 80 customers and employees were asked to evacuate the shopping center.

After arriving on scene, firefighters and members of the department’s Hazardous Material Response Team determined that the leak was coming from a two-inch medium pressure line and as a precaution ordered an evacuation of the shopping center. Reliant/ARKLA officials, who were immediately notified by fire communications after receiving the initial 911 call by Brookshires’ management, arrived a short time later and quickly were able to control the leak by shutting off the main that supplied the meter.

Reliant/ARKLA estimated that the ruptured line would take an hour to repair, saying that only Brookshires would be affected until it was complete. With this information, around 10:15 the all clear was issued by fire officials and stores were allowed to reopened and customers return to shopping. ###