Diesel spills into Kingsport, TN creek
December 9th, 2014 12:02 pm by Nick Shepherd
Kingsport Fire Department engineer Gene Lady and Capt. Chris
Lowe place absorption pads in Leslie Branch near Sullivan North High School.
Photo by David Grace
A diesel spill at a Kingsport gas station, which ran into a
drain that empties into a creek, prompted a call to local firefighters and the
Environmental Protection Agency.
According to Barry Brickey, public education officer for the
Kingsport Fire Department, a call came in around 9:30 Tuesday morning about a
diesel spill at Valero, 2729 N. John B. Dennis Highway.
A driver was filling his truck with diesel fuel. He placed the
handle to the on position and went inside. When the driver returned, the pump
failed to turn off and was spilling fuel into the parking lot.
Some of the fuel reached a drain in the parking which leads to
a nearby creek.
Valero contacted KFD, which responded with three fire engines,
a Hazmat and C3. The company also contacted American Environmental, the EPA and
county Emergency Management.
Brickey said a series of booms and pads were placed in the
parking lot and the creek to collect the fuel. Brickey said the KFD Hazmat team
has contained the spill and there should be no danger to the public.