Diesel Fuel in Walnut Creek/ Greenbelt Park

Tue March 06 2007
Posted Mar 6, 2007
9,302

Crews Work To Contain Fuel Spill Valve Blamed For Leakage, DNR Says DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and other agencies are working to clean up a petroleum leak in Clive. An open valve on a holding pond at the Flying J Truck Stop in Clive resulted in contaminated water going into nearby Walnut Creek on Monday, according to a DNR news release. A holding pond is designed to catch runoff from the truck stop's parking lots, which includes rain and snow runoff and the gas and oil that can wash in with it. It also has a filtration system that works to keep petroleum pollutants from going into Walnut Creek, and it failed at about 6 p.m. Monday, the news release said. A discharge valve also opened, releasing contaminated water to the stream. The water also created a sheen and odor that reached as far as two miles downstream. A person smelled the fuel and called the Clive Fire Department on Monday night. "We got the valve shut off there, so there's no more coming down," said Jim Allen of Hazardous Waste Management. The fire department and city of Windsor Heights placed absorbent booms in four areas along the creek to keep the contamination from spreading, according to the release. "First of all, we wanted to get barriers or booms down in the water and get ahead of the leak," said assistant fire chief Brad Madsen, of the Clive Fire Department. He said the idea is to slow the current and the spread of the fuel. A contractor placed more booms and pads in the creek and began pumping contaminated water from the pond at about 11 p.m. Monday. "These are absorbent pads that soak up petroleum only," said Kenny Davenport of Hazardous Waste Management. They set up several barricades along Walnut Creek. The last of them is just west of 86th Street in Clive and their testing showed that the fuel had not made it that far. The DNR's Kevin Baskins said that the creek will be monitored for the next couple of days and until the DNR gives the all clear, people and pets should stay out of the creek. Walnut Creek is a tributary of the Raccoon River, which the Des Moines Water Works occasionally uses as a source for drinking water, the DNR release said. The Des Moines Water Works is currently drawing its water from the Des Moines River. Randy Beavers, of the Des Moines Water Works, said that everything is OK and there is no problem with Des Moines drinking water. The DNR continues to investigate and may consider possible enforcement action. Video of this story: http://www.kcci.com/video/index.html Copyright 2007 by KCCI.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.