Roughly 500 gallons of diesel fuel spilled across the parking lot of Ketchikan’s Gateway Recreation Center and into a local creek Tuesday afternoon. The leak originated from a residential heating oil tank near the recreation center.
Emergency teams responded and dispersed absorbent materials in the parking lot and spread booms across the contaminated creek. That small water outflow empties into Schoenbar Creek, which empties into Ketchikan Creek, which flows into the ocean.
But Ketchikan Fire Chief Rick Hines said he’s confident they prevented the oil from making it to the ocean, thanks to the mostly dry weather.
“Timing is everything,” Hines said. “If we would have had a lot of rain occurring, then potentially we would have had more fuel in the creek, heading down the creek, heading toward the ocean.”
Hines said they still notified the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in case any follow-up is necessary. They also worked with the city’s public works department, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for the initial response.
Once their teams addressed the immediate leak though, Hines said the cleanup becomes the responsibility of the owner. And he said so far, the owners of the spilled tank seem to be doing a great job.
“They were replacing some of the booms that were saturated, they were dealing and disposing of them properly,” Hines said of the owners when he stopped by Wednesday morning. “And then I think they had got a contractor in there, because they were going to have to dig up some contaminated soil.”
Hines said the spilled tank had a hole in the bottom, likely from corrosion.
He said the fire department responds to leaking fuel tanks once or twice a year, as residents switch to electric or other heating sources and their stagnant tanks fall into disrepair. Hines said while it can be costly to empty and remove those tanks, it could prevent a situation like this, where the owner can incur fines from the state DEC plus fees from the fire department.
He said residents with fuel tanks should check them regularly for rusting or any signs of a slow leak, and community members shouldn’t hesitate to call the fire department if they notice anything that looks like a spill. Residents can report spills anonymously by calling DEC at 800-478-9300.
Hines said this spill does not currently pose any health risks to nearby residents. The recreation center remains open, but has limited parking and access, with the Bear Valley side entrance open for exit only.
