Nearly 5,000 Gallons of Gas Leak Out of Ely Holiday
More Updates Coming This Afternoon
ELY, Minn.-Nearly 5,000 gallons of gasoline have leaked out of a Holiday gas station in Ely, according to the city’s top official.
Mayor Chuck Novak told Fox 21 that gasoline permeated the ground and made it into their storm water system.
He said it’s still not clear on what kind of environmental impact the leak will have. The leak was first reported on Monday.
According to the MN Pollution Control Agency there is a tank inspector and emergency responder on site that are helping with the site assessment and response efforts.
The gas pumping stations have since been shutdown.
Rick Johnson, the Holiday Stationstores Vice President of Operations, released a statement on the incident this afternoon:
“Early Monday morning on May 28th 2018, Holiday corporate officials were notified of a gas leak at the local Holiday store in Ely Minnesota. While Holiday has comprehensive and sophisticated systems preventing such events, gas leaked in the city’s sanitary and storm sewer system, as well as in Miners Lake. Upon receiving notification from the store, Holiday officials deployed all safety measures needed to rapidly assess the situation and stop the leak. Holiday is actively collaborating with State and city officials in a goal to return to normal operations.”
Novak said he will have more details on the spill this afternoon.
Check back for updates.
According to Officials the gas leak has been stopped and there have been no reports of injuries or illness as a result of the spill.
The Fire Department has responded to one report of gas fumes in a basement of one Ely resident.
Officials are advising people to stay away from the special venting equipment that is being installed at storm and sanitary sewer outlets. It is not known how long venting process will take to clear the system.
Authorities say if you smell gasoline in your home to open windows to help ventilate the building and recommend then leaving the building to allow the air quality to improve.
If you need an on site review you can call 911 and the dispatchers will notify the Ely Fire Department.
If necessary, evacuations will possibly begin Monday.
