Crews from CleanHarbors on April 12 get supplies out to absorb any of the remaining fuel. Photo/LTN

By Kathryn Reed

Crews are at the Tahoe Keys Marina today dealing with an oil spill that was reported on Monday.

“We are not able to identify the source and no one has come forward to say that is my oil,” Cathe Pool with Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board told Lake Tahoe News.

She had a team at the site on April 11 to try to find the source, as well as take samples. Results from the sampling won’t be back for about three weeks. There is no obvious gasoline smell, so it could be old gas, diesel or hydraulic fluid.

South Lake Tahoe officials checked the storm drains and found no evidence the contaminant was coming through the network of pipes.

There are no fuel tanks nearby and the boats in the area don’t have an obvious leak.

Pool did not have an estimate of how much fuel had been released. A small sheen covers a large area. It could be seen in several of the slips on Monday, but not on April 12.

It is contained to a back channel beyond the marina, close to the professional buildings.

It has not reached Lake Tahoe.

El Dorado County hazmat crews were out early with pads to absorb the spill. According to Lahontan, Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association is taking the lead on the clean up. A boom and skimmer are being used. The TKPOA general manager was not available for comment.

Pool said, “It could be hard to nail this one down” – in terms of the source.