LAKEPORT >> PG&E has completed its initial removal of soil from the Lakeport site where mineral oil was spilled two weeks ago, a spokesperson from the company said.
Cleanup crews have been on the corner of South Main Street and Industrial Avenue in Lakeport since Jan. 13, when a PG&E contractor tipped over three transformers and spilled 24 gallons of mineral oil. At the site they have excavated the potentially contaminated soil and removed it from the area.
According to PG&E spokesman Brian Swanson, the company now has to wait for test results sampled from the soil that remains at the site. Information from the tests are expected by the middle of next week. The company is looking for traces of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), a synthetic chemical used in the mineral oils of old transformers.
“We need to get those samples back and then determine next steps,” Swanson said, adding that water samples in the lagoons of Pier 1900 and 1800 South Main Street — where a culvert from the spill site empties out — have consistently tested negative for PCB. Samples were also taken on the surrounding concrete, he said.
If the soil tests come back negative for the chemical, the utility giant must be granted approval by the government before it can leave. However, if the tests return positive, further excavation of soil will likely be necessary.
Another party is also interested in the soil is the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski said, because they are concerned about archaeological resources that may be found in the dirt.
Swanson said PG&E has scheduled a site visit with the Big Valley’s tribal coordinator.
Until the visit and the test results, the company will keep the containment measures up and make appropriate responses to when it rains. The booms in the lagoon will also remain, Swanson said.
