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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Wyden's support is vital ... Guest Opinion: City of Ashland space needs ... Haines & Friends Fund grants help local artists ... Wyden's support is vital ... Guest Opinion: City of Ashland space needs ... Haines & Friends Fund grants help local artists ... ENVIRONMENT Asphalt waste makes way into Ashland Creek Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 5:48 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 5:48 PM » Social News The Ashland Police Department has issued a stop work order to Esselstrom Construction after asphalt waste from a driveway paving job at Ashland Christian Fellowship at 50 West Hersey Street went into a storm drain Monday and into Ashland Creek about 20 yards away. The spill traveled about a mile and apparently killed no fish, said Geoff Brown, Department of Environmental Quality team leader for this event, in Eugene. The compound was water soluble, so there is no way to get it out of the creek, he added.  The spill was tracked on foot by Rick Landt, a city Parks & Recreation Commission member, who said he saw discoloration and smelled diesel-like fumes in an irrigation canal that flows through his property.  He reported the spill to DEQ shortly after 5 p.m.  “I got here right after it happened,” said Landt. “There was absolutely no protection involved there. If you are working with materials that could go in a storm drain, you’ve got to fence it off.”  The storm drain on Tuesday was doused with kitty litter to absorb it, but Landt said the blackish goo on the grating and at the bottom of the storm drain was the offending asphalt compound.  The spill originated from where a Esselstrom Construction crew from Phoenix was laying asphalt sealer, containing clay, asphalt and calcium carbonate, to preserve the life of an aging driveway and parking lot, said Brown. DEQ, he says, is working on remediation, which means correcting the situation. Mainly, this means steam cleaning the storm drain to the creek. It will determine the cause later. “There’s nothing you can do,” says Brown. “Just make sure it doesn’t happen again. The details (of the cause) are still murky. We’re still investigating. We don’t know how it occurred. There are conflicting reports.”  Cleanup of the product, Armor Seal Coat 100 HD, can be done with water, say online specs, but if the material has hardened, the recommendation is to use diesel fuel.  “It would be a stretch to call it toxic,” said Brown, adding, “however, if you look at Oregon emergency response or Oregon Spill Rules, you’ll see it’s not OK to release petroleum products into the waters of this state.”  Brown talked to company owner Chris Esselstrom, he said, and was told they don’t know how the spill happened. Brown did learn the crew, at the end of the day Monday, was doing cleanup in a 500-gallon tank of water on the company’s truck beside the storm drain.  When a crew boss was asked what he put down the storm drain, he told the Tidings they only dumped soap and water in the drain. A spill also occurred on Sunday, according to a statement issued on the Ashland city website Tuesday afternoon, which also said water samples were collected and have been sent to a laboratory for testing. Esselstrom did not immediately return a call for comment. According to the city's statement, Esselstrom stated the crew accidentally spilled the product they were using and washed it down the storm drain with water.     John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 5:48 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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