News moves slowly, Nacimiento gas leak does not

November 18, 2008
 It took three days for lake officials to respond to questions about the nine-day-old event.

It took three days for lake officials to respond to questions about the nine-day-old event.

By DANIEL BLACKBURN

A gasoline leak in Lake Nacimiento marina supply lines spilled an undetermined amount of fuel near lake waters earlier this month before the problem was noticed by park employees.

Following three days of queries by CalCoastNews reporters, Nacimiento Park Manager Tom Shepherd said he was issuing a press release, which he did on Tuesday, to claim, “No fuel was spilled into the lake” in the Nov. 9 incident. He added, “The exact amount of the spill is unknown but is believed to be less than 350 gallons.” The fuel is stored in a 12,000-gallon tank, according to sources who suggested the amount of leaked fuel was much more significant.

Asked if the spill might have been even larger than presently described, Shepherd chuckled and said, “Oh, heavens no.”

To handle the spill, the Monterey County Parks Department has “three earth-moving tractors, six transport trucks, and staff from three lake parks on the scene,” reported the official. “Our top priority is to work with our partners on the state and local level to take immediate action to clean up this spill.”

Shepherd said he has notified the appropriate federal, state, and San Luis Obispo County regulators of the mishap.

Since Monterey County took over management of the lake in Oct. 2007 and granted the operation’s concession to Forever Resorts, more than $80,000 of taxpayers’ money has been spent upgrading the marina’s fuel system.


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Member Opinions:

By: NorthCountyGuy on 11/28/08

How about the water being wasted on the Fake Wetlands Project adjacent to Nacimiento Lake Drive about a mile from the Resort/Marina. This ugly eyesore was caused by the same cut-and-fill land rapist who denuded 1000s of acres of beautiful viewscape, cut down 100s of beautiful oak trees and caused tons of mud to flow into the lake. Small, cut-and-fill lots were crammed in high-density together to satisfy the greed of infamous SLO-town land developers.

By: SensitiveGuy on 11/26/08

Damn,I can't wait to give my kids some toxic waste water to drink.Thanks to ALL you dumb asses from the Paso City Council on up to the Mayor.Grapes get drinkable water,the kids get Gasoline and Mercury.It's a BEAUTIFUL THING.

By: JorgeEstrada on 11/20/08

The Park is in San Luis Obispo County. Which county paid the $80K? I noticed SLO Co. regulators were put to work. Would we be liable and subject to State and Federal litigation?

By: Newsome on 11/18/08

…And just a few miles west are the cinnabar mines that ooze mercury into the lake…

By: Joe on 11/18/08

And just a few miles north is San Ardo, a huge heavy oil reserve sitting at or below river level. A few miles south, is the Guadalupe dunes oilfield … Security around that "restoration" project is tighter than Diablo.