6:00 p.m. Update (From Town of Chapel Hill):
3:00 p.m. update: Mitigation crews are now on-site, attempting to vacuum gasoline and other products from the leak site. Orange County Emergency Services and North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources is now on scene.
While crews have not seen a sign of a leak coming from the gasoline tank, they have still emptied it as a precaution, and dams in the water are now being checked for signs of gasoline or other products.
CHAPEL HILL – Chapel Hill firefighters are responding to a reported gasoline leak that originated from the BP gas station on Martin Luther King Blvd near Homestead Road.
Captain David Sasser says no gasoline has been found in the water supply yet, but they are detecting gas odors in several spots. Sasser says the range so far is as far out as Eastwood Lake.
“There’s an odor at Eastwood,” Sasser says. “We have not found any signs of it that far.”
In addition to investigating for gasoline in the water, Sasser says the fire department is assessing the impact the spill has had so far.
“We’re assessing for any safety issues and putting up dams to help stop any product, if there is any,” Sasser says.
Chapel Hill Fire first got reports of a gasoline odor at around 5 a.m. this morning, which was followed by similar reports around 7 a.m.
Sasser says the department is still looking in to the cause of the leak. The Homestead BP station did have construction on its property.
“They were doing construction, but nothing related to the actual gas tanks, so that’s what’s being investigated.” Sasser says
Sasser says the department believes the leak occurred around 2 to 5 a.m. this morning.
Crews are spread out 1.5 miles around the site of the BP station, with three Chapel Hill Fire Department engines with 12 firefighters. In addition, the Chapel Hill Police Department sent three officers, Orange County Emergency Services sent seven members, South Orange Rescue sent five members and the Orange County Sewer and Water Authority sent two of its members.
Its 1pm Sat. There are dead fish in crows branch creek in my back yard along with a strong gasoline smell and weird foam.. I’m guessing everything in the creek is dead now.