GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Arthur Wood has lived along Dickinson Bayou for over 35 years. He cherishes the wildlife of his garden, where herons, deer, turtles and other animals often mingle amid a bustling community.

However, there are serious concerns about a weekend fuel spill at a nearby gas station.

“I’m just disgusted by what’s happening in the bayou. That’s my big concern,” Wood said.

A scheduled fuel stop took place Sunday evening, well after the Valero closed at FM 517 East in Dickinson.

Surveillance video shared with ABC13 shows a tanker truck dumping gasoline all over the Valero gas station. Dickinson authorities say neither the driver nor the fueling company called anyone to report the incident.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Cleanup underway after fuel spill in storm drains in Dickinson, officials say

As a result, the fuel was not contained until residents woke up Monday morning and began calling the fire department to report the odor.

“We don’t know how much fuel spilled into the waterway,” said Derek Hunt, director of the Dickinson Office of Emergency Management. “We estimate the spill to be 4,000 gallons. Looking at some of the footage, we can see that the fuel took the path of least resistance into the storm drains.”

Hunt says the city has contacted TXDOT, which has storm sewer priority, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as well as the federal Environmental Protection Agency, to try to control the efforts. cleaning and damage assessment.

Hunt also contacted the fueling company, which he described as being “uncooperative” and saying it was not their fault.

When that happened, Wood says the smell was so strong he thought the leak was his problem.

“I woke up Monday morning and went into my garage to do Monday’s things. I grabbed the laundry and the smell of gas almost knocked me over,” he said. “I panicked (thinking), ‘Oh no, I have a leaking can in my garage.'”

Once complaints about the residences began pouring in, Dickinson officials discovered the spill and shut off power to the gas station. TXDOT also brought in contracted cleanup crews, who worked through Tuesday to vacuum up as much dirt as possible.

“Luckily at the end of the storm drain there is something called a duckbill that, when the water rises, prevents the water from going back into the storm drains,” Hunt explained . “It held up a lot (of fuel).”

Crews also dumped 21,000 gallons of fresh water through the pipes along with other cleaning supplies. But it still frustrates Wood, who fears wildlife may have been unnecessarily affected.

“I’m sorry. He made a mistake and he tried to run away. Accidents happen. Turn it off,” Wood said.

ABC13 reached out to the fueling company, but no one returned our calls. As the investigation continues, it is unclear what liabilities the company may face.

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