APRIL 21, 2015
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS
Gasoline from a large spill at an Arlington Heights gas
station early this morning leaked into nearby McDonald Creek, but firefighters
and hazardous materials crews managed to prevent it from spreading downstream
to Lake Arlington, an official said.
Authorities blamed the spill on a pump left running
overnight at the Citgo gas station at Palatine Road and Windsor Drive, on the
village's northeast side.
A passer-by spotted the leak shortly before 5:45 a.m.,
Arlington Heights Deputy Fire Chief Pete Ahlman said.
"He hit the emergency shut off to stop the leak, which
was very helpful," Ahlman said.
It was not known how long the pump had been running, but
preliminary estimates indicate as much as 80 gallons of gasoline poured out of
the pump before it was turned off, Ahlman said. The cause of the spill remains
undetermined, and Arlington Heights police had not been called to investigate
whether something criminal occurred.
Besides Arlington Heights firefighters, workers from the
Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District were called to the scene to assess the damage and
stop the flow of gasoline.
Ahlman said crews used absorbent material to clean up the
spill, cleared nearby catch basins, and deployed absorbent pads called
"booms" into McDonald Creek to soak up gasoline and prevent its flow
downstream.
"We deploy them in stages, so the first boom soaks up
some of the gas, the next boom gets more, and so on," he said. "It
was very successful, and we're very happy with the result."
One lane of traffic on the frontage portion of eastbound
Palatine Road was closed during the cleanup, but traffic otherwise was not
blocked or rerouted.
Ahlman estimated that crews will remain on the scene until
early this afternoon.