Staff Reports
Columbus firefighters contained an accidental fuel spill at the Columbus Regional Health Mental Health Services facility, 2705 Lincoln Park Drive, at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters were sent to the facility after a fuel treatment and recovery contracting company performing preventative maintenance and filtration services reported the spill. Firefighters were also advised that an unknown amount of spilled diesel fuel entered into Haw Creek.
Hughes Fuel Recovery, who is contracted by Columbus Regional Health (CRH), provides fuel filtration, treatment, testing and maintenance for fuel used in the health care campus emergency generators. Representatives of the company told firefighters that during preventative maintenance operations, an accidental spill occurred as fuel was being pumped out of the generator tanks. Company representatives said that at some point a leak occurred, causing an undetermined amount of fuel to spill on to the parking lot and into a nearby storm drain.
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When firefighters arrived on the scene they set up two areas of operation, one at the spill site, and the other downstream. Identifying that fuel was visible in the waterway, firefighters deployed absorbent material products at each location to aid in preventing any additional fuel from moving downstream.
Hughes Fuel Recovery told firefighters that their recovery team was notified of the spill and would be enroute to aid in the cleanup process. Columbus Fire Department contacted the Indiana Department of Emergency Management and the Bartholomew County Emergency Management agency to report the incident, per protocol. No injuries were reported at the scene.
