Fuel spill at Point Higgins prompts cleanup, air monitoring; reopening awaits state sign-off

Ketchikan — Ketchikan Gateway Borough and school officials say they are containing and cleaning up a diesel fuel discharge near Point Higgins Elementary School after what they estimate was about 2,700 gallons released from a generator area the week of Aug. 20.

Morgan Berry, public works director for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, said the discharge soaked into ground under the generator room and began discharging downhill from the school. "We examined the site on Friday ... we realized that it was not contained," Berry said, and borough and state agencies stood up an emergency operations center to coordinate containment and cleanup. Borough crews and contractors have fenced the affected area and have been assessing and cleaning creeks downstream, Berry said.

The borough and district said they have not found evidence that diesel reached the ocean. "We have not found that any diesel fuel has made its way to the ocean," Berry said.

Nortek Engineering, which is conducting air, water and soil testing, reported indoor air readings at the school well below occupational limits. Jason Ginter of Nortek said early steps —…