Eight Mile, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eight Mile, Alabama
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 Eight Mile, Alabama
Location in Alabama
Eight Mile, Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Mobile |
| Elevation | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
36613
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| Area code(s) | 251 |
| GNIS ID | 117888 |
Eight Mile is a community in Mobile County, Alabama, in the United States. It's called Eight Mile because it's about eight miles (or 13 kilometers) away from the city of Mobile. Some parts of Eight Mile were later joined with the nearby city of Prichard, Alabama.
Contents
History of Eight Mile
The 2008 Chemical Spill
In 2008, a lightning strike hit a storage tank in Eight Mile. This tank held a chemical called Mercaptan. Mercaptan is added to natural gas to give it a strong, rotten-egg smell. This smell helps people find gas leaks, because natural gas itself has no odor.
About 500 gallons of this chemical spilled into the ground. It stayed there for six months and started to make the air smell bad.
Community Concerns and Investigations
Years later, around 2011, people in Eight Mile began to notice a very strong rotten-egg smell. They also worried about how the chemical might affect their health. The smell also made their homes less valuable.
Residents asked for help from state and federal officials to investigate. The company involved, Mobile Gas, at first said the smell was not from their operations. But in 2012, they admitted that the spill had happened. They said that other companies they hired were responsible for cleaning it up.
Cleanup Efforts and New Laws
In 2015, Mobile Gas started a new system to clean up the water pollution. This system used a process called ozone treatment.
In 2016, a new law was passed in the United States. This law officially listed mercaptan as a hazardous (dangerous) chemical. This was an important step for safety.
Geography of Eight Mile
Eight Mile is located in Alabama, west of Mobile Bay. It is also just north of the Gulf of Mexico. The land in Eight Mile is about 33 feet (or 10 meters) above sea level.
Notable People from the Area
- Mikhail Torrance, a professional basketball player, grew up in the nearby city of Prichard.
- Kadarius Toney, a professional football player, is also from this area.
