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Agencies Warn of Petroleum Sheen in West Creek

by KREX News Room
by Courtney Griffin

Story Created: Mar 14, 2013 at 8:49 PM MDT

Story Updated: Mar 14, 2013 at 10:18 PM MDT

MESA COUNTY, Colo.- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are giving fishermen and outdoor recreationists a warning that there may be some visible petroleum sheen in West Creek.

Officials say the sheen is from a tanker that crashed and spilled 6,000 gallons of diesel and 2,000 gallons of gasoline along highway 141 in between mile marker 120 and 127 back in January.

Officials say the bulk of the cleanup has been completed, but there is a high likelihood that fishermen walking through the stream this spring and summer will notice that they're kicking-up petroleum sheen from the sediments.

Some guidelines to follow when observing or reporting visible sheen include: Sheen should only be seen along CO 141 from mile marker 120-127. Sheen should dissipate within 10 feet or less and it should stop releasing within three minutes after the sediment disturbance has stopped.

If sheen is visible elsewhere in the creek, call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802, or report online at nrc.uscg.mil. Make sure to mention the report is related to the West Creek tanker spill.











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