A fire in Stockton has led to the collapse of an oil holding tank and spillage of nearly 6,400 gallons of crude oil in an area near the Tensaw River.
Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency Director Reggie Chitwood said he was on site Monday morning at the oil well located off Hubbard Landing Road in Stockton.
Chitwood said when he arrived on the scene, members of the volunteer fire department were finishing putting out the fire and the proprietor of the site was contacting his cleanup crew.
“Some type of fire ensued at that site resulting in two of the tanks there collapsing, a salt water tank and an oil holding tank,” Chitwood said.
The oil tank held 160 barrels of crude oil, or about 6,400 gallons of crude oil.
“The release of all that liquid caused oil to overflow the retention pond and flow out around the surrounding area,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood said the site was located about 200 yards from the water, but said people worked quickly to try to prevent any spillage into the water.
“I did not see anything that would cause me any great concern, but we’re going to continue to monitor the situation,” Chitwood said. “We also contacted the state EMA and the Department of Environmental Management so that they can come and handle their part of the situation.”
Gulf Coast Media will continue to update this story as more news develops.
