CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas General Land Office is still dealing with the aftermath of a diesel truck that caught fire last Friday near Dolphin Park.
“I remember my wife said, 'Did you hear the boom?' We were afraid it was one of the tankers,” said Imperial Harbor resident Daniel Ruidant.
The result wasn't what Ruidant and his wife expected as a tanker was engulfed in flames.
The Corpus Christi Fire Department quickly sprung into action. Once they put out the fire, Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha says they were able to transition to an environmental response.
“Right now, we’re working with GLO," Rocha said. "Working feverishly to make sure no product gets into the water."
The Texas General Land Office reports nearly 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled.
The barriers between the fire and the nearby canal limited the fuel's impact to the coastal waters.
“The response officer reported on site reported less than a gallon of diesel that actually made it into the canals,” said James Duenes, the regional GLO manager.
The clean-up efforts haven't gone unnoticed.
“So we got diesel all over the street here on Surfside and then they come work here pretty quickly that day to put sand and close half of the street,” said Ruidant.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is overseeing this cleanup and is requesting a report from the GLO within the next 30 days to learn about the process.
