Hebron gasoline spill cleanup expected to take several days

Cleanup crews are expected to remain in the Hebron area for several days following a gasoline spill Monday, Hebron-Alden-Greenwood fire Chief Tom Linneman said in a news release.

Linneman said the fire department got reports of a strong gas odor at the Hebron Water Treatment Plant at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Firefighters traced it to the Fast Stop gas station at the intersection of Routes 47 and 173 in Hebron and found a large fuel spill in the parking lot.

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Despite the fuel odor at the treatment plant, gas didn’t get into any natural waterways, and drinking water wasn’t affected by the incident, Linneman said.

Officials made a hazmat request and numerous agencies from McHenry and Lake counties responded to the scene. Hazmat technicians used absorbent materials at several spots in the sewer system to try to reduce contamination and contain the spill.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is working with a cleanup company to remove any existing gas in the sewer system, the IEPA confirmed. Cleanup crews are expected to be in the area for several days, Linneman said.

Preliminary reports indicate a fuel tanker made a scheduled stop about 5 a.m. Monday at the gas station, according to the release.

The tanker released an “undetermined” amount of gas into the parking lot for “unknown reasons at this time,” according to the release.

The Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District is working in cooperation with the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency and Illinois EPA to investigate, according to the district release.