Malfunction causes downtown evacuation

By Tom Bonnette • tbonnette@thetowntalk.com • July 22, 2008 Alexandria city officials Monday ordered residences and businesses in a quadrant of downtown Alexandria evacuated in the wake of a fuel spill that saturated the AT&T building on Murray Street in thousands of gallons of red-dye diesel. Johnston Street to Fulton Street and Sixth Street to Ninth Street were cleared of occupants after it was decided a "super flush" - in which high-pressure water is released through sewer lines - would be the quickest way to clear the diesel from affected areas. "There are very few residents in this area, and there are very few businesses that are open right now. We think this will be a slight inconvenience to these businesses, but this (spill) is serious," Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy said shortly after announcing the evacuation. Roy's... [read full story]