MARCH 16, 2015
MARTINS FERRY, OHIO
Authorities say
vandalism is to blame for a diesel fuel spill discovered Monday morning at a
fuel station at 4th and Jefferson Streets.
Drivers employed by United Dairy arrived about 7:30 a.m. at a fuel station and truck parking owned by the company. When they went to fill up their trucks, they say they found the spill.
A reverse 911 call for a five block radius was sent out by police, letting people know what the odor in the air was and that it was being addressed.
According to Assistant Martins Ferry Fire Chief Mike Reese, someone had entered the property overnight and cut the handle off of a diesel pump, allowing 250-500 gallons of fuel to drain from the hose for hours.
Neffs Haz-mat Containment Team were the first to arrive on scene and, using a mix of sand and Floor Dry to surround the spill, were able to contain it before it contaminated the Martins Ferry Water System, according to Reese.
"If it would've got in the sewer system, we would've had a whole other situation," he said. "Luckily we were able to get it stopped."
"It's flammable is what it is and once it gets into the soil," Reese said. "The clean-up has to come in and essentially they're going to have to dig up a part of this lot and the soil and replace all that."
United Dairy's environmental cleaning team has informed officials that they will take care of the final clean-up.
Police say they have some good ideas about how did this and are already working the case.
Drivers employed by United Dairy arrived about 7:30 a.m. at a fuel station and truck parking owned by the company. When they went to fill up their trucks, they say they found the spill.
A reverse 911 call for a five block radius was sent out by police, letting people know what the odor in the air was and that it was being addressed.
According to Assistant Martins Ferry Fire Chief Mike Reese, someone had entered the property overnight and cut the handle off of a diesel pump, allowing 250-500 gallons of fuel to drain from the hose for hours.
Neffs Haz-mat Containment Team were the first to arrive on scene and, using a mix of sand and Floor Dry to surround the spill, were able to contain it before it contaminated the Martins Ferry Water System, according to Reese.
"If it would've got in the sewer system, we would've had a whole other situation," he said. "Luckily we were able to get it stopped."
"It's flammable is what it is and once it gets into the soil," Reese said. "The clean-up has to come in and essentially they're going to have to dig up a part of this lot and the soil and replace all that."
United Dairy's environmental cleaning team has informed officials that they will take care of the final clean-up.
Police say they have some good ideas about how did this and are already working the case.