NEWS

Diesel spill contained near UNC Hospitals

CHAPEL HILL -- Chapel Hill firefighters and university and hospital environmental safety crews worked through the night to contain diesel fuel accidentally spilled late Monday (July 29) from a tank outside UNC Hospitals.

None of the fuel threatened public safety or public water supplies; an undetermined amount entered a small tributary of Morgan Creek but is expected to be pumped out by late today (July 30), said environmental health and safety officers for the hospitals and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The fuel powers emergency generators for the hospital in case of a power outage, officials said.

The accident occurred during pumping of diesel from one tank to another late Monday afternoon, undertaken for technical reasons. Equipment that sounds an alarm to stop pumping failed, and an estimated 600-1,000 gallons of diesel spilled. Hospital environmental crews worked from 7 p.m. on to contain the spill, building dikes and placing absorbent booms around manhole covers.

The hospital also notified the N.C. Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and a state regional hazardous waste team from Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department in Durham reported to the site. Hospital officials also called a private contractor that specializes in cleaning up such spills.

As contractors were en route, a passer-by on campus noticed a smell and called the UNC Office of Public Safety at about 9 p.m. UNC officers sent to the scene called the Chapel Hill Fire Department and the UNC Office of Environmental Health and Safety; the Carrboro Fire Department responded also.

Firefighters located the end of the spill at the tributary, Meeting of the Waters Creek, off Manning Drive at the eastern end of Skipper Bowles Drive. They built a sand dike that contained the spill and placed absorbent booms supplied by UNC to further ensure containment.

The specialized contractors arrived soon after 1:30 a.m. and began pumping by 2:30 a.m. Work is expected to continue through evening today, and complete cleanup is expected. Roads are open.

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Contact: L.J. Toler, UNC News Services, 219-6374, cell; 216-2584, pager; 962-2091, office.