Cabin Cruiser Leaks Fuel Into Lake Cda

Absorbent booms were placed in a channel west of Blackwell Island on Saturday to keep spilled diesel fuel from flowing into the Spokane River.

The spill was traced to a cabin cruiser docked at the Yacht Club marina on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

“A fuel line broke, causing diesel to leak into the bilge,” said Deputy Chief Don McNett of the Kootenai Fire Department. “The bilge pump pumped it into the lake.”

An estimated 50 gallons leaked. The state Division of Environmental Quality classified the incident as minor, McNett said.

The state could potentially levy a fine, but did not do so in a recent similar spill. McNett declined to name the Washington residents who own the boat.

Marine deputies and the county’s hazardous materials response team were among those containing the spill. They were alerted by a Millview Road resident who spotted the colorful sheen of oil floating in the channel.

, DataTimes MEMO: IDAHO HEADLINE: Fuel spill traced to cabin cruiser