Underground Gas Leak On Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – Clean-up crews have had their hands full on Miami Beach where they've been working to clean up a major mess left behind by a large gasoline spill that shut down roads during the busy morning commute.
Just before 5:00 a.m., about 1,000 gallons of fuel leaked out of some pipes on the backside of a Chevron gas station on Alton Road and 18th Street.
In no time, the fuel flooded the roads around the gas station.
"We put dirt right in front of the drains so the water would run off and the gas doesn't go into the sewer system," explained Miami Beach Fire Department Chief Javier Otero.
Hazmat crews also used foam and other absorbent materials to prevent the gas from getting into storm drains, canals, or even the Bay.
Pedestrians could also smell the heavy odor of fuel.
The Coast Guard, State Department of Environmental Protection and the Miami Beach Public Works Department all worked through the morning to ensure public safety and get the mess cleaned up.
Workers were able to segregate the fuel into one storm drain line.
Then the public works department placed an inflatable plug on the line so no fuel could seep to the Bay.
Meantime, AN employee at the South Beach Animal Hospital who was walking dogs in the area of the spill was not even aware the roadway was contaminated.
"That's not something you want to get in. Why would you want to get the dogs into it? We do not want to find out how bad it can be," said Belkis Huebscher from South Beach Animal Hospital.
The cause of the leak is still unknown, but foul play has been ruled out. No one was injured.
