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Responder: Tanker fire at Richmond Dam burned in place to prevent spill; cleanup and soil testing underway
Summary
Scott Knight, an on-scene responder, said crews allowed a tanker to burn to avoid contaminating the reservoir, deployed booms and an earthen berm, and brought an environmental contractor; state agencies and investigators remain involved while soil sampling and excavation are planned.
Scott Knight, the on-site responder, told the Brown County Commission that emergency crews responded to a tanker incident near Richmond Dam after an initial call reporting fuel spraying and a subsequent report that the tanker was on fire.
Knight said first responders evacuated three nearby homes, positioned apparatus to protect residences and, after consulting the state fire marshal and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, made a tactical decision to let the tanker burn rather than risk a larger fuel spill into the lake. Crews reinforced existing absorbent booms, built an earthen berm on a gravel parking area to catch runoff and stationed booms below the spillway.
“Calls were placed to the state fire marshal, South Dakota Department of Ag and Natural Resources and the groundwater folks,” Knight said. He told commissioners that Geotech Engineering of Sioux Falls was brought in that evening to begin cleanup work and that DANR and the contractor would coordinate soil sampling and excavation where fuel was found.
Knight said the booms captured a small sheen on the water near the dam and that no visible contamination was found downstream. He added that crews were starting soil sampling and that some contaminated soils may require excavation and disposal at the landfill.
Knight also said the incident damaged site pumping equipment; the pump manufacturer quoted what the meeting transcript described as “about half $1,000,000 each” for units, and Knight said one pump appeared destroyed while two others might be repairable. He said the fire marshal characterized the blaze as accidental and that investigators from the marshal’s office, DCI and the sheriff’s office had interviewed on-site workers and were continuing their inquiry.
Knight told the commission the contractor and construction safety staff were helpful to responders and that the overall multi-agency response had prioritized life safety and containment. Commissioners were told booms would remain in place at least another week while further testing and cleanup continue.
Next steps include additional soil samples, excavation of contaminated soil where required, disposal coordination with landfill staff and continued oversight from DANR and the state fire marshal’s investigators.
