Fuel spill closes Cobb roads near Marathon oil depot

By Mike Morris

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Cobb County Fire Department's hazardous materials team was sent to the Marathon Oil depot near Powder Springs Monday morning after a pump malfunctioned, sending about 1,500 gallons of fuel into nearby drainage ditches.

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Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com Cobb County Fire Department PIO Denell Boyd examines the ditch in front of the Marathon Oil Terminal on Anderson Farm Road where absorbent pads have been placed to soak up the spilled fuel. The Cobb County Fire Department's hazardous materials team was sent to the Marathon Oil Powder Springs Terminal Monday morning after a pump malfunctioned, sending about 1,500 gallons of fuel into nearby drainage ditches.

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Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com Absorbent pads line the path of the spill where it leads to a ditch on Anderson Farm Road. Cleanup crews contracted by Marathon were at the scene.

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The incident happened about 7:30 a.m., and by 8:30, the leaking fuel had been stopped, according to fire department spokeswoman Denell Boyd.

Boyd told the AJC that with Monday's heavy rain, "our concern was the fuel getting into creeks."

Containment booms were put in the drainage ditches, and a private clean-up crew was on the scene late Monday morning removing the spilled fuel. She didn't know if any fuel had reached nearby creeks.

Anderson Farm Road remained closed shortly before noon, along with sections of Flint Hill and Ewing roads.