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Sgt. Bill Devine tosses a buoy to Deputy Ben Coffindaffer, which Coffindaffer then attached to the hull of the waterlogged plane about 1 p.m. Thursday, in an attempt to keep it from sinking.
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ENLARGE
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Firefighters and paramdeics from NLTFPD peer through binoculars at the submerged plane and surrounding rescue boats from Burnt Cedar Beach Thursday.
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Fuel leaked from a seaplane that submerged Thursday into Lake Tahoe should not have any long-term effects on Lake Tahoe’s water clarity or quality, according to lake officials and scientists.
“It’ll evaporate from the surface and the water will get diluted out fairly quickly,” said Glen Miller, a University of Nevada, Reno natural resource and environmental science professor who has done extensive research into the effects of fuel on Lake Tahoe’s waters. “This is unlikely to present a long-term problem and would not be considered an major addition to the existing issues.”
The seaplane, which carried about 30 to 40 gallons of fuel, was being pulled from the bottom of Lake Tahoe, about a half mile east of Burnt Cedar Beach, as of press time Thursday.
Rescue officials reported a fuel leak about 11:45 a.m., according to Leslie Barnes, a Washoe County Sheriff’s support specialist. Absorbent booms were placed around the spill site, said Jay Schmidt, a volunteer rescuer who serves aboard the WCSO’s Marine 9. Absorbent booms are floatable devices used to soak up some of the fuel to take it away from the lake water, Schmidt said.
The absorbent booms may have mitigated much of the fuel leak, said Dennis Zabaglo, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency watercraft program manager.
“The first responders were able to soak up quite a bit of it so the remainder that’s there will be a smaller amount” Zabaglo said. “Gasoline tends to evaporate quickly.”
The Incline Village General Improvement District water intake valves, positioned off of Burnt Cedar Beach about a quarter-mile away from the sinking plane, began shutting down at 11:45 a.m. and were completely shut down by 12:05 p.m., said Mike Pennacchio, IVGID Risk Management officer.
After some water tests later in the day, IVGID Director of Public Works Joe Pomroy confirmed the water was not contaminated. The pumps remained closed into Thursday afternoon as a precaution.
“It’ll evaporate from the surface and the water will get diluted out fairly quickly,” said Glen Miller, a University of Nevada, Reno natural resource and environmental science professor who has done extensive research into the effects of fuel on Lake Tahoe’s waters. “This is unlikely to present a long-term problem and would not be considered an major addition to the existing issues.”
The seaplane, which carried about 30 to 40 gallons of fuel, was being pulled from the bottom of Lake Tahoe, about a half mile east of Burnt Cedar Beach, as of press time Thursday.
Rescue officials reported a fuel leak about 11:45 a.m., according to Leslie Barnes, a Washoe County Sheriff’s support specialist. Absorbent booms were placed around the spill site, said Jay Schmidt, a volunteer rescuer who serves aboard the WCSO’s Marine 9. Absorbent booms are floatable devices used to soak up some of the fuel to take it away from the lake water, Schmidt said.
The absorbent booms may have mitigated much of the fuel leak, said Dennis Zabaglo, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency watercraft program manager.
“The first responders were able to soak up quite a bit of it so the remainder that’s there will be a smaller amount” Zabaglo said. “Gasoline tends to evaporate quickly.”
The Incline Village General Improvement District water intake valves, positioned off of Burnt Cedar Beach about a quarter-mile away from the sinking plane, began shutting down at 11:45 a.m. and were completely shut down by 12:05 p.m., said Mike Pennacchio, IVGID Risk Management officer.
After some water tests later in the day, IVGID Director of Public Works Joe Pomroy confirmed the water was not contaminated. The pumps remained closed into Thursday afternoon as a precaution.
