Records Of Fuel Spill Questioned Unclear Whether Pasco Plant Kept An Accurate Accounting

A spill at a fuel storage plant has left investigators with a mystery: Are 31,000 gallons missing as a result of the spill or merely because of a paperwork error?

The spill at the Cenex Supply and Marketing plant north of here was apparently caused by a vandal or vandals who cut a lock on a gate sometime between Saturday and Monday morning, officials said.

Plugs apparently were pulled from four tanks, and a valve was opened, spilling fuel onto the ground, said Jim Chulos, on-site coordinator for the state Department of Ecology.

Cenex officials who reported the spill Monday to Franklin County fire officials said nearly 40,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel had spilled.

Firefighters managed to keep most of the spilled fuel in a contamination area under the tanks, District No. 3 Chief Ron Anderson said.

Crews recovered about 9,000 gallons of fuel but could not locate the other 31,000 gallons that were reported missing, Chulos said.

Investigators were unsure whether the 31,000 gallons actually were missing or whether Cenex’s records as to the amount that had been in the tank may have been in error, Chulos said.

He said he planned to check Cenex’s records next week. Cenex could be cited by the county fire marshal if its records are wrong, Chulos said.

“We believe it was about 9,300 gallons that was spilled, and that has been recovered,” company spokeswoman Lani Jordan said Wednesday.