U.S. Coast Guard crews were able to contain a petroleum product that leaked into Stockton’s Smith Canal over the weekend, preventing it from fouling the San Joaquin River.
The leak from a 380-gallon oil burner was contained to a 1.5-mile stretch of the canal after it was reported at 3:40 p.m. Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard’s 11th District Pacific Southwest said in a news release.
Emergency responders including the Coast Guard scrambled to stem the effects of the petroleum product leak.
Crews that responded initially laid sorbent boom, which absorbs chemicals, in the spill to minimize environmental impacts. An additional layer of hard boom was placed surrounding the spill to prevent product from entering into the San Joaquin River, according to the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard reported Sunday that the petroleum product had been contained, and a safety zone for marine traffic was established on the waterway from Louis Park to Yosemite Lake while cleanup operations were ongoing.
There had been no reports of impacted wildlife so far, the Coast Guard also reported Sunday.
Mariners were encouraged to avoid the safety zone on Smith Canal from Louis Park to Yosemite Lake due to the environmental pollution risk, according to the Coast Guard.
Agencies responding to the incident include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Stockton Fire Department, Stockton Police Department, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, and San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network, known as OWCN, also responded to the spill to care for any impacted wildlife. As of Sunday afternoon, there had been no reports of oil affecting animals.
The OWCN can be reached at 877-823-6926. Anyone who sees impacted wildlife should not intervene and instead call the OWNC, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard has activated the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. The trust can provide up to $1 billion for oil spills and similar disaster responses.
The private contractor Patriot Environmental Services has been tapped to assist in the cleanup.
