Fuel spill in Jefferson County
photo by: Mike Yoder
An employee with Haz-Mat Response, Olathe, places a hose to suck up diesel fuel in a ditch Saturday near 106 E. Pearl St. in McLouth. A diesel tanker was resupplying a BP gas station's diesel tank Friday night at 101 E. Lake St., also known as Kansas Highway 16, when over a thousand gallons of diesel spilled onto the ground and into a nearby neighborhood. Residents of two homes on E. Pearl Street voluntarily evacuated their home because of the smell.
Emergency crews from at least two counties responded on a diesel fuel spill late Friday night. The scene is the BP station, located at 101 E. Lake Street. The station is on the southeast corner of Lake and Union Streets in the heart of McLouth.
Outside of McLouth, Lake Street is known as Kansas Highway 16.
A diesel tanker was reportedly resupplying the gas station’s diesel tank when 1,200 to 1,300 gallons of diesel spilled onto the ground. Crews reported that some of the fuel had ran downhill and into storm drains. The spill was also reported to have “covered” at least one neighbor’s backyard.
A caller to the Lawrence Journal-World said that “homes all around the area were being evacuated.”
Emergency crews on the scene include; McLouth Police & Fire Department, Oskaloosa Fire Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Fire Districts 8 & 9, and Leavenworth County Emergency Management. An earlier report from the Lawrence Journal-World says that Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical was also involved on the call. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has also been notified of the spill.
These crews are also being assisted by a private contractor, Haz-Mat Response Inc., of Olathe, Kansas.
Check back with this blog post for updates as they become available.
The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.