by Garth Meyer
Workers cleaned up a diesel spill at King Harbor Marina this week after a mishap Sunday afternoon, April 7, in which a boater mistakenly put water into a yacht’s fuel tank, overflowing it, according to Mary Fricke, spokesperson for the California Department Fish & Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
The Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol responded first, putting a containment boom in the water for a 200’ by 200’ reddish sheen near J Dock, and laid out absorbent white square pads, working with Baywatch Redondo.
The estimated 150-250 gallon spill, reported by a call from the boat owner to Harbor Patrol, involved diesel gasoline, which floats like all fuel, so the clean-up was on the water’s surface.
Contractor Patriot Environmental, of Los Angeles Harbor, arrived Tuesday morning to clean off remnants from the shore and docks, and test water for petrochemicals.
“We’re trying to keep the waters clean and nice,” Fricke said.
The incident remains under investigation. ER
