Local News & NorthwestJanuary 20, 2023

A potential 2,000 gallons of mixed fuel still in environment south of Colfax from semi crash

Crews are still working to clean up a fuel spill that resulted from a semi-tractor trailer crash Sunday 3 miles south of Colfax.

A truck traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 195 was transporting two trailers of fuel Sunday evening when a cat ran into the road. The driver swerved to miss the animal and lost control of the vehicle, causing the second trailer to flip on its side. The first tank was also punctured fuel was dumped into the roadway, the ditch and into Spring Flat Creek, according to a press memo from the Washington State Patrol.

The semi was hauling 4,000 gallons of diesel and 2,000 gallons of gasoline that were mixed during the incident, said Ty Keltner, communications manager for the State of Washington Department of Ecology. Crews were able to pump about 4,000 gallons of mixed fuel out of the damaged tanks, but there is still potentially 2,000 gallons of mixed fuel that ended up in the roadway, ditch and nearby creek.

Keltner said crews put an absorbent boom in the creek a couple hundred yards from the incident to make a barrier so fuel can’t travel farther downstream. The boom is still in place and Keltner said although there is still a sheen from fuel in the creek, it hasn’t escaped farther into the river.

The department has been observing wildlife and has not received any reports the fuel has impacted animals in the area, Keltner said.

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Crews have begun soil excavation to remove affected ground in the ditch and surrounding area. Keltner said they dug 7- to 8-foot pits to help pool fuel to make collection easier. They are still assessing if the fuel has migrated anywhere else in the area.

The department is still examining soil and looking for contamination, Keltner said. After the contaminated soil has been removed, the department will contract an agency to bring in new soil and replace what was removed.

Later, crews will excavate down to the point they feel comfortable to see if the fuel has migrated to underground water supply, Keltner said. The department does not know if the incident has affected groundwater supply, but it will provide an update once the procedure has been completed.

Keltner said crews are still in the process of cleaning up the spill and don’t have an exact timeframe for when it will be completed. The department will continue to assess the extent of contamination.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.

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