Origin of Contamination a Mystery : Fuel Spill Cleaned Up in San Juan Creek

Between 50 and 100 gallons of a diesel-type fuel illegally dumped into a storm drain flowed into San Juan Creek on Saturday, some of it emptying into the ocean near Doheny State Beach.

Officials said that the substance posed no threat to humans but that it may have an effect on the creek and its wildlife.

By late afternoon, workers had vacuumed out the contaminated water, which county firefighters had contained earlier in the day with dirt, sandbags and a floating, absorbent spongelike material.

An undetermined amount of the polluted water flowed into the ocean, about one-eighth of a mile from the San Juan Creek drain outlet.

A maintenance crew at Doheny State Beach spotted the discharge about 7 a.m. Saturday.

Origin Not Determined

Officials said they could not determine the origin of the contaminated water, which flowed from an underground storm drain and into the creek.

Nira Yamachika, water pollution engineering specialist with the county Environmental Management Agency, said she followed traces of the rainbow-colored sheen that the oil gave the water from a pond at the base of the drain where the oil seemed to concentrate. She followed the sheen into the drain, which was large enough to walk through, but the sheen stopped about 50 to 100 feet inside. Apparently, it had all washed toward the creek by then.

By afternoon, most of it appeared to be contained, and it did not pose a health hazard, Yamachika said.

Officials said such contamination of San Juan Creek, particularly so close to the ocean, was uncommon.

In addition to the Environmental Management Agency, other agencies responding to the incident were the state Department of Fish and Game and the county Fire Department, including the hazardous material unit.