Dousing Pipeline Explosion Fire Sent Toxins into Storm Drains

A conservation watchdog group says oil, fuels and other heavy metals likely flowed into storm drains and into San Francisco Bay as firefighters and rescuers doused the fire that swept through San Bruno's Crestmoor neighborhood on Sept. 9.

But bay sediments are already highly contaminated by trash and other pollutants in the slough just south of San Francisco International Airport, the catch basin for storm drains in Crestmoor, said Baykeeper Executive Director Deb Self.

"The total volume coming off the disaster site … I don't know how big of a difference it's going to make, but it does add to the toxicity of the marshlands," Self said Thursday. "It's an ongoing concern. This is a toxic pulse to the marsh area between the airport and Coyote Point. It's known as a sensitive site, and we hate to see more toxic pollutants going in there."

Baykeeper, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, has worked since 1989 to reverse degradation of bay quality and promote policies that protect the water.

Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze following the natural gas pipe explosion that rocked Crestmoor, killing four and leaving four other people missing while leveling dozens of homes. Self said a potent variety of toxins such as PCBs, dioxins, benzenes and polyaeromatic hydrocarbons get flushed into gutters and down storm drains when such disasters take place.

In the case of the fire fought on Sept. 9-10, the toxins would have already reached the bay through the San Bruno underground channel that goes from Crestmoor Canyon directly to the slough adjacent to the airport. Possible weekend rains will send even more nasty stuff into the slough, she said.

Filtering systems in front of storm drains can drastically reduce the toxic content of water flowing into freshwater basins, Self said. They can be as simple as a blanket or towel, but tube-shaped strawbale absorption device called a fiber role is more commonly used.

"You see those kinds of filtration stopping sediments at construction sites, and they can be used in a disaster like this," Self said. "But of course they had their hands full just finding the sources of the gas leak and trying to get the valve shut off. We're not faulting the city in any way. They had a huge fire to put out and they were trying to save lives."

In the future, though, having fiber roles or other filtration devices distributed by public works employees or even volunteers could reduce toxins flowing into the bay, she said.

Baykeeper is involved in a lawsuit against San Bruno and several other cities pertaining to a sewage spill several years ago. The suit, brought forth in February, is meant in part to force the city to make aggressive repairs to help prevent future sewage spills into the bay.