Westfield Fire Deputy Chief Patrick Kane (WNG file photo)
WESTFIELD—A diesel fuel spill drew the response of the city’s fire department, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) over the weekend.
According to Westfield Fire Deputy Chief Patrick Kane, the department received a report from bystanders that a pick-up truck in the Stop and Shop plaza on Main Street had a tank in its bed and it was leaking “some sort of fluid.” Westfield Fire first received the report around 1:40 p.m. and found that the leak was actually diesel fuel.
Knowing this, the firefighters acted fast.
“We responded and found that a 100-gallon tank in the back of a pick-up truck had a slow leak,” Kane said.
Kane said that the department acted quickly, cordoning off the area of the spill and making sure that the fuel did not reach any storm drains, which could cause problems with the city’s water supply.
“We diked off the storm drains and prevented the diesel from going there and prevented it from going any further with a kiddie pool put underneath the truck,” Kane said.
The department then focused its efforts on cleaning up what was on the ground, and deployed specially designed absorbent pads to soak up the fuel. The pads, according to Kane, are used to specifically absorb hydrocarbons—which can be items like fossil fuels and some oils—and not water.
While the Westfield Fire Department continued to contain and clean the spill, Kane said that MassDEP responded to the scene. MassDEP also contributed to the process of cleaning up according to Kane, with larger and more effective oil -absorbing and -containment products called booms.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) website on oil and chemical spill containment methods, booms are “floating, physical barriers to oil, made of plastic, metal, or other materials, which slow the spread of oil and keep it contained.”
These booms are able to both encapsulate the spill, as well as absorb it, and are seen in larger spills on bodies of water most typically, according to Kane. He said that the department utilized the booms by dragging them across the site and absorbing more liquid.
The spill was cleaned and contained according to Kane, and to finish the rest of the issue, Kane said Interstate Towing came and evacuated the leaking tank of the remaining diesel fuel with specialized pumps.
Kane estimated that about 60 to 70 gallons was taken out of the tank, meaning that about 30 to 40 gallons may have hit the ground.
Regarding the spill and the department’s response, Kane praised the firefighters who first arrived.
“Captain Paul Lentini and his crew did a great job,” Kane said. “Their quick action prevented the diesel from leaking into the storm drains.”
According to Kane, there were no injuries and the entire incident, from the time of the call to the department leaving the scene, was just under two hours.
