Stream Flooded Again in Cleanup : Sepulveda Basin: Anheuser-Busch is trying to flush away residue of a caustic solution that spilled from its Van Nuys brewery.
Anheuser-Busch, which late Wednesday dumped thousands of gallons of water into Haskell Creek, again flooded the stream bed Thursday night in a continuing effort to flush away residue of a caustic solution that spilled from its Van Nuys brewery earlier in the week and threatened to contaminate the Sepulveda Basin wildlife area.
State fish and game officials Thursday asked the company to flush the stream again because water samples taken near the brewery still showed above-average levels of alkalinity.
The officials said water downstream at the wildlife area shows a neutral pH.
Lt. Joe Pecsi of the state Department of Fish and Game said the readings suggest that the caustic solution--a blend of 4.3% sodium hydroxide and water--saturated upstream areas of the creek bed. The second flushing is to “make sure they completely have diluted whatever solids of the sodium hydroxide are left,†Pecsi said.
Officials said there have been no signs of dead or distressed wildlife in the 108-acre area about 2.5 miles south of the brewery.
Haskell Creek flows through the area, providing habitat for waterfowl and other animals.
However, the creek, which empties into the Los Angeles River, bypasses an 11-acre lake that is the centerpiece of the wildlife area.
The spill occurred Monday morning when an outdoor section of pipe connecting two buildings ruptured, spilling 5,400 gallons of the cleaning solution into a storm drain that flows into Haskell Creek, which is an intermittent stream until it achieves a constant flow in the wildlife area.
By late that day, cleanup contractors had dammed the stream at the northern edge of the wildlife area and were siphoning water from the creek.
About 200,000 gallons were hauled by tanker trucks to the brewery to be neutralized and discharged into city sewers.
By late Wednesday, officials said the creek had been nearly sucked dry but that puddles of water continued to show high alkaline readings. That prompted efforts to dilute the residues by pouring water down the channel later Wednesday night.
Officials said this lowered pH levels. It was done a second time “as a precaution,†said fish and game Lt. Chris Long. “We feel it’s going to be OK.â€
Earl Burke, plant manager for Anheuser-Busch, described the fracturing of the pipe as “one of those freak things. . . . This was all welded steel.â€
But he said the company will investigate construction of a containment system so that future spills would not flow into storm drains.
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