Fuel Spills Into Dana Point Harbor

About 860 gallons of diesel fuel have spilled into Dana Point Harbor from an underground storage tank, but no fish or other wildlife have been affected, authorities said Friday.

Officials from city, county and state agencies are devising a plan to clean up the area that has been contaminated by the leak from a corroded pipe junction, said Lt. Steve Edinger of the state Fish and Game Department.

Booms have been placed in the water to contain the spill. The leaking pipe has been repaired, and no more fuel is seeping, he said. Nearby beaches remain open.

But the ground remains saturated, and with each high tide, more of the fuel seeps into the water, Edinger said.

The spill occurred near the fuel dock, which is near the harbor’s sportfishing businesses. It was first spotted Aug. 30 by the Orange County Harbor Patrol and appeared as a sheen on the water, Edinger said.

About 100 yards of absorbent boom are in the water near a rock wall, and boats are still able to move about in the area, county and state officials said. One of the two fuel pumps at the dock has been shut down.

The spill does not seem to have killed any fish, Edinger said. While large concentrations of petroleum-based contaminants can hurt marine birds, he said, “we haven’t seen any effects on wildlife.”

Edinger said the storage tank is located on state tidal lands, which have been ceded to Orange County. The county, in turn, has leased the area to KDL Services Inc. for the operation of a commercial fuel station.

Officials will decide Monday on a cleanup plan, which Edinger said he expects will involve “some excavation.” He said he hopes that work will begin early next week.

The cost is not yet known, but the state’s legal staff will help determine who is responsible for the bill, Edinger said.