LAKEPORT — A county environmental health specialist had serendipitous timing Thursday morning when he was driving by the Lakeport Express gas station in downtown Lakeport and happened to spot a kerosene pump leaking into a nearby storm drain.
Environmental Health Services Deputy Ken Williams placed a 911 call at approximately 9:45 a.m. to report the leak. The affected storm drain empties into Forbes Creek, which in turn drains into Clear Lake.
Lakeport Police Department and Fire Protection District personnel responded along with several city Public Works employees, county Office of Emergency Services responders and Department of Fish & Game wardens.
Sgt. Kevin Odom said LPD would most likely have personnel on scene well into the night until a private contractor hired to finish the cleanup arrives from Stockton.
Incident commander Lt. Brad Rasmussen estimated that between 50 and 75 gallons of kerosene had spilled from the pump, adding that a lot of that was picked up by an absorbent material used by hazmat personnel early on to contain the spill. An undetermined amount went down the storm drain.
The point where the storm drain in question discharges into Forbes Creek was blocked to prevent stream pollution, said Rasmussen, and as of mid-morning, no kerosene was detected in Forbes Creek.
Rasmussen said the cause of the leak is still under investigation.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
