LAKEPORT — Cleanup of a kerosene pump leak at the South Main Street gas station Lakeport Express was completed Thursday, according to Lakeport Police Department Lt. Brad Rasmussen, one week after the spill occurred.
“What happened was that we thought we had it cleaned up, but then discovered that we still had some solid material in there,” said Rasmussen. “So we had to ensure that it was removed.”
After Lake County Environmental Health Services Deputy Ken Williams noticed the leak while driving by and placed a 911 call to report it, the area was cordoned off and the drainage system closed off to prevent drainage into Forbes Creek and Clear Lake.
Resmussen said a private contractor out of San Juaquin was hired by the gas station”s owners to clean up the hazardous material. They arrived on scene in the late evening of March 1; Martin Street and part of Main Street was cordoned off until 2 a.m. the following morning.
Lakeport PD, Fire Protection and Public Works, along with county Environmental Health staff assisted in the cleanup.
Lakeport Public Works staff found contaminated dirt the following Tuesday, and the private contractor was called back to finish the job, said Rasmussen.
County environmental health officials found no traces of kerosene in Forbes Creek during checks on March 1 and March 8.
The absorbent material used to soak up the estimated 15 to 22 galons of kerosene that spilled out of the pump were taken to a hazardous material waste disposal site in East Palo Alto for temporary storage, noted Rasmussen.
The cause of the kerosene leak is still under investigation. A full report, said Rasmussen, is expected later in the week.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
