Over the course of more than three decades, Arthur Wood has made his home along the Dickinson Bayou. There are herons, deer, turtles, and other animals that frequently coexist in his property, which is located in the center of a bustling community. He takes great pride in the presence of this abundance of nature.
But a fuel spill that occurred over the weekend at a petrol station in the neighborhood is creating big concerns.
“Let me just say that I am completely repulsed by the situation in the bayou. According to Wood, “that is my primary concern.”
On Sunday evening, long after the Valero station at FM 517 East in Dickinson had closed its doors, a refueling stop that was slated to take place disappeared.
An incident involving a fuel truck that spilled gasoline all over the Valero gas station was captured on surveillance camera and shared with ABC13.
Authorities in Dickinson have stated that neither the motorist nor the fuelling company made any attempts to contact anyone in order to report this occurrence.
Therefore, the fuel was not confined until Monday morning, when residents began calling the fire department to report the smell. This occurred after they had woken up.
Derek Hunt, the director of the Dickinson Office of Emergency Management, stated that “we do not know how much fuel got into the waterway.”
There may have been as much as 4,000 gallons of liquid that was spilled. It is clear from looking at some of the film that the fuel followed the path of least resistance and ended up in the storm drains at some point.
In an effort to acquire a better understanding of the cleanup operations and damage assessment, the city, according to Hunt, has reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), which has the right of way over the storm drains, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Hunt also made contact with the firm that was responsible for refueling, which he characterizes as being “uncooperative” and claiming that it was not their problem.
While this was going on, Wood claims that the odor was so potent that he was under the impression that the leak was his problem.
I awoke on Monday morning and went straight to my garage to complete the tasks that were assigned to me for the day.
I carried out the laundry, and the odor of the gas came dangerously close to knocking me out,” he added. “I panicked, (thinking), ‘Oh no, I have a leaking can in my garage.'”
After receiving a number of complaints from local residents, Dickinson officials discovered the spill and immediately turned off the power to the gas station.
In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) hired contract cleaning crews, who worked through Tuesday to remove as much of the mud as they could.
“Luckily, what is at the end of the storm drain, there is something called the duck bill that prevents when the water increases, it prevents water from filling back into storm drains,” Hunt further pointed out. “That held a lot (of fuel) back.”
It was also necessary for the crews to flush 21,000 gallons of fresh water through the pipes, in addition to additional cleaning agents. However, this continues to irritate Wood, who is concerned that the wildlife was harmed without any justification.
“I am very sorry. It was a mistake that he made, and he attempted to get away from it. Mishaps are a true reality. “Turn it off,” Wood instructed.
The fuelling firm was contacted by ABC13, but no one picked up the phone to answer our inquiries. There is a lack of clarity regarding the responsibilities that the company will finally be held accountable for as the inquiry continues.