Fire officials say a fuel tanker spilled a “large” but undetermined amount of gasoline into the sewer system in downtown Hebron Monday and cleanup could take days.
The Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District began receiving reports around 9:30 a.m. Monday of a strong odor of gasoline at the Village of Hebron water treatment plant.
Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District Chief Thomas Linneman said firefighters were able to trace the origin to the Fast Stop gas station on the corner of Route 47 and Route 173.
Firefighters observed evidence of a large gasoline spill in the parking lot which led to a nearby storm drain.
Linneman said it was unknown how much fuel entered the sewer system so a hazardous material response request was made through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS).
Numerous fire departments from across Lake County and McHenry County responded to the scene.
Linneman said HazMat technicians used absorbent materials at several locations along the sewer system to contain the spill and reduce contamination.
“Fortunately, the gasoline did not release into any natural waterways and the drinking water within the village was not impacted during the incident,” Linneman said.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is working with a cleanup company to mitigate and remove fuel within the sewer system.
Cleanup crews are expected to remain in the area for several days.
Linneman said preliminary reports indicate a fuel tanker made a scheduled stop at the gas station around 5 a.m. Monday.
“For unknown reasons at this time, the truck discharged an undetermined amount of gasoline into the parking lot which subsequently entered the sewer system,” Linneman said.
Route 173, also known as Maple Street, was shut down between St. Albans Street and Route 47 for several hours during the incident.
The Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District is working with the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the incident.