Fuel spill into Matadero Creek prompts concerns about environmental damage
Source: https://paloaltoonline.com/, May 11, 2021
By: Gennady Sheyner and Sue Dremann
Palo Alto residents and environmental advocates warned Monday that last week’s diesel fuel spill from the VA Palo Alto Health Care System’s Palo Alto campus into Matadero Creek may damage local wildlife and pushed the city to remain deeply involved in the cleanup effort.
The incident occurred Thursday morning, when a sensor at the VA campus’ generator plant pump failed and diesel entered a storm drain that flowed into the creek, according to an email that VA spokesperson Michael Hill-Jackson wrote to Barron Park Association President John King. The email noted that most of the fuel was captured inside the VA’s generator building, and that there is “minimal risk of fuel breaking containment upstream.” Read more.
