The Region - News from Feb. 23, 1987

More than 18,000 gallons of asphalt sealant leaked out of a storage tank in Irwindale, spilling 500 to 1,000 gallons of the oily liquid into a nearby lake at Peck Road Park, state officials said. John Lewis, an engineer with the state Water Quality Control Board, said the spill posed no immediate threat of contamination to drinking water supplies, which are drawn from deep wells in the area, not from the lake. A spokesman for Western Emulsions Inc., where the spill occurred, said most of the spill was contained in the firm’s storage area, but 500 to 1,000 gallons went into a storm drain and emptied into the lake, which is stocked with fish. No dead fish were found. Officials said they would continue to monitor the lake for contamination.