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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 'Storm' was not very wet for Rogue Valley, but did dampen fire threat ... Calling out the troops ... Pot businesses have eyes on Medford ... 'Storm' was not very wet for Rogue Valley, but did dampen fire threat ... Calling out the troops ... Pot businesses have eyes on Medford ... ENVIRONMENT Asphalt waste makes way into Ashland Creek By John Darling For the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling For the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 26, 2015 @ 10:18 am Updated Aug 26, 2015 at 10:53 AM By John Darling For the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 26, 2015 @ 10:18 am Updated Aug 26, 2015 at 10:53 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> 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 W. Hersey St. 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 incident, 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. Monday. “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 blackish goo visible on the grating and at the bottom of the storm drain was the offending asphalt compound.  The spill originated 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 the company didn'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 the crew 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 Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling For the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 26, 2015 @ 10:18 am Updated Aug 26, 2015 at 10:53 AM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. 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