Previously: Possible Jet Fuel Leak At Oakland Airport Could Reach Bay
Oakland International Airport investigators have determined that none of the jet fuel that spilled into a ditch on airport grounds on Monday reached the Bay, airport spokesman Robert Bernardo said today.
An airport employee reported smelling fuel near a cluster of fuel tanks in the area of Terminal 2 Monday afternoon.
“We have been investigating all night to get to the bottom of what exactly that smell was,” Bernardo said.
The tanks were inspected, along with nearby pipes, and no leaks were found, leading investigators to believe that the spill may have come from a truck transporting the fuel.
Bernardo said it was determined that approximately 20 gallons of jet fuel spilled and ended up in a nearby ditch full of water.
The ditch is part of a drainage system that pumps stormwater into the Bay during heavy rain. When airport officials learned of the spill, they shut off the pump station, he said.
The Coast Guard, the Port of Oakland and the airport’s environmental team investigated.
“It’s confirmed that nothing went into the Bay,” Bernardo said.
Today, the airport environmental team is skimming the water in the ditch and soaking up the fuel using absorbent boom.
“It’s almost like putting a sponge in there,” he said.
He said the cleanup was expected to be complete by the end of the day.
