Petroleum spill responders have begun cleaning up a diesel fuel spill outside a learning center in Bethel.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says an estimated 3,000 gallons of diesel spilled Tuesday outside the Yuut Elitnaurviat (YOOT LIT-now-vat) People’s Learning Center.
The DEC says maintenance workers manually operated a pump transferring diesel fuel from a 4,000-gallon feeder tank to a day tank left a pump on and the day tank over filled.
Workers discovered the spill at 8 a.m. Tuesday and shut off the pump.
Responders from Alaska Chadux Corp. started cleanup Tuesday.
By Wednesday night they had moved about 400 gallons of diesel and water to temporary storage.
The spill occurred on the building pad and reached a natural depression in adjacent wetland.
