NAMPA, Idaho — On Saturday morning, the strong smell of fuel led Jeremy Schmerber to walk along Mason Creek, which runs near his RV in Nampa. He quickly realized something was wrong.
"If you catch it at the right angle with the sun out, you can still see [the fuel], he said. "We normally have probably 30 ducks in here. I haven't seen them since yesterday afternoon."
In a news release, Yount Enterprises, Inc. stated an unauthorized employee did not properly shut down a diesel pump after putting fuel in their personal vehicle. Pressure in the system caused the hose to fail and start leaking.
"The company immediately engaged in efforts to contain the fuel and prevent its spread beyond the trucking yard working through the night with an excavator to dig up and contain contaminated soil," according to the news release.
However, the company learned Saturday that "rain moved the fuel into the stormwater system." A local community member called the Nampa Fire Department that morning after noticing the smell.
Stephen Ball, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on-scene coordinator, has spent the last few days cleaning up. The Idaho Department of Environment Quality and local fire crews have also been helping catch any remaining spilled fuel.
Additionally, Yount Enterprises hired an environmental clean-up specialty company.
"The community can expect for the sheen on Mason Creek to dissipate over time," Ball said, "and eventually it will no longer be apparent. That's the goal we're working toward."
The EPA does not know how much diesel was spilled. As of now, Ball said he does not believe the Boise River, which Mason Creek runs into, has been contaminated.
"The company will continue to work with the federal and state agencies monitoring the cleanup to ensure that the problem is fully addressed," The news release from Yount's lawyer stated.
Schmerber called the spill "heartbreaking." He took a Muskrat to a local rescue after finding it on a bank covered in fuel.
"I've walked the creek a couple of times looking to see if there's anything that might have happened to something else," he said. "I haven't found anything luckily."
Ball said people should keep their dogs out of the creek if there is a visible sheen. People should also temporarily stay away from using the water for their animals.
The EPA, along with the DEQ, will decide if the company faces penalties or legal repercussions after the waterways are clear, a spokesperson told KTVB.
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