Ecology, SPU and Coast Guard responding to gasoline release at south end of Lake Union

UPDATE: Nov. 24, 2011 (11 a.m.)
On Wednesday evening (Nov. 23, 2011), Ecology and Seattle Public Utilities worked closely with the owner of the property with the old gasoline storage tank. The property owner quickly hired a private cleanup contract to secure the site to keep any more gasoline-contaminated surface water runoff from further reaching the city's storm drain system — including stacking sandbags and building extra containment for runoff at the site.

This morning, the U.S. Coast Guard, Ecology and SPU inspected the outfall pipe that drains to Lake Union and determined no more gasoline was reaching the lake.

Ecology and SPU will continue their investigation next week about how residual gasoline from the old gas station underground storage tank, installed in 1949, reached the city's storm drain system. Officials will continue to monitor conditions through the holiday weekend.

FIRST REPORT: Nov. 23, 2011 (8 p.m.)
SEATTLE – The state Department of Ecology, Seattle Public Utilities and U.S. Coast Guard are responding to a gasoline spill from a stormwater outfall in the south end of Lake Union located at Ward Street and Fairview Avenue North.

The apparent source of the spill is an underground fuel tank associated with a former gas station located at Ninth and Madison, approximately six blocks away. An undetermined amount of gasoline has mixed with the stormwater runoff and is being discharged to the lake.

More information about the spill will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

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Media contacts:
Curt Hart, Department of Ecology, 360-480-7908
Andy Ryan, Seattle Public Utilities, 206-619-3893
Shawn Eggert, U.S. Coast Guard, 206-819-9154

For more information:
Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)
Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov)

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