Source of oil that wound up in creek still a mystery

The origin of heating oil that seeped into a Cedar Rapids storm sewer and then to a drainage ditch remained a mystery Monday.

An employee at Guppy's on the Go, 235 Edgewood  Rd. NW, noticed the smell of diesel fuel coming from a drain near the entrance to their car wash Friday morning. Authorities said it appeared the oil was coming from the property east of the gas station, where a greenhouse had recently been demolished.

Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow said firefighters ran a scope through the drain for 125 feet, but were unable to confirm the source of the oil. They think the oil has stopped leaking, though, he said.

“It's at least that far (east of the drain), if not further,” Buelow said.

The oil emptied into Vinton Ditch just north of Johnson Avenue NW, where firefighters placed absorbent pads to stop its flow. A Marion company cleaned up the mess Friday.

There has been no indication of how much oil leaked into the storm sewer or when it began, Buelow said. Authorities said excavators at the former greenhouse site had removed two empty tanks Friday morning.

Officials do not expect a significant environmental impact from the leak.