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Spills and Contamination

Report a Spill or Contamination Emergency

Witnessing an illegal discharge to a storm drain, creek or wetland?

Call your local stormwater illegal discharge contact (for San Rafael or Unincorporated Marin).

After normal business hours: emergency : 911 or Marin County Sheriff non-emergency line: 499-7233

Anonymous Reporting Form

Contacts for Spills and Contamination

Oil and chemical spills or potential spills occurring in or threatening storm drains and “open waters”:
California Emergency Management Agency at 1-800-OILS911.

Confirmed oil spill in a marine environment:
National Response Center (NRC) at: 1-800-424-8802.

Habitat destruction, fish kills, or poaching
California Department of Fish and Game at: 1-888-334-2258.

Pesticide misuse or contamination
Department of Agriculture Weights and Measures: 415-499-6700.

Highways/freeway litter
Highway patrol: 1-800-TELL-CHP. Please include: Date and time of incident, License plate number, Car make and model, Location where you saw the incident, Which person in the vehicle threw the cigarette and/or trash.

Checklist For Business Owners

This MCSTOPPP questionnaire helps you to prevent spills and contamination.

Wastewater Woes: Sewage Spills in SF Bay

Sewage spills into San Francisco Bay are forcing cities, water agencies and the public to take a closer look at wastewater and its impacts on the bay. QUEST investigates the causes of the spills and what’s being done to prevent them.

July 2014 Sir Francis Drake Tanker Spill

A big-rig containing two gasoline tank trailers overturned on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near San Quentin State Prison. The right tires on one of the trailers went onto the soft right shoulder of the road and slid out.

CHP estimated 1,700 gallons of fuel spilled from the punctured rear tank trailer. A 1,000-foot exclusion zone was established around the spill, including the 10 evacuated homes in San Quentin Village.

San Rafael firefighters created a primary containment area around the tank and a secondary containment on the road and adjacent to the road to capture leaking fuel. Crews also used absorbent material and sand that was brought to the scene. The San Quentin Fire Department captured fuel runoff adjacent to the road in a catch basin to keep it out of San Pablo Bay.

 

2009 Terra Linda Oil Spill

An oil spill from a vehicle occurred near Terra Linda high school.
A sizable quantity of oil went down the creek.
Emergency response measures were not in place.
Crews were still mopping it up the next day with paper towels.
No efforts immediately to contain it.
No appropriate immediate response.

Cause:
Vehicle

Questions:
Does Fire Dept. have absorbent booms?

Comments:
This is a problem with perception of Gallinas Creek being just a ditch west of Highway 101. This reinforces the need for community education.

February 2009

2009 Sausalito Sewage Treatment Plant Leak

The spill released 500,000 gallons of sewage into San Francisco Bay.

Cause:
A defective pipe weld from when it was originally installed was suspected of contributing to the leak.

Action:
If anyone has news about spills and contamination in San Rafael, please contact Gallinas Watershed Council.

2007 San Francisco Cosco Busan Oil Spill: A Preventable Tragedy

Booms were used in Gallinas Creek and in the wetlands of Las Gallinas Valley to help clean up after this oil spill.

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