SOME DIESEL FUEL NOT FOUND AFTER SPILL

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 1, 1993                   TAG: 9304010270
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HERNDON                                LENGTH: Medium
SOME DIESEL FUEL NOT FOUND AFTER SPILL
About 20 percent of the fuel that spilled from a broken pipeline remained unaccounted for Wednesday, officials estimated.
Environmental officials said about half the remaining diesel fuel was behind containment booms in Sugarland Run at the mouth of the Potomac River.
Workers also removed the damaged pipe for more analysis.
About 336,000 gallons of fuel leaked into the ground and the creek Sunday when a 36-inch line burst.
Colonial Pipeline Co. spokesman Sam Whitehead said it may be impossible to determine what happened to the fuel that workers have not traced or recovered.
"We may never know for sure," Whitehead said. "Some went into the ground, some went into the air and some of it may have vaporized."
Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Al Peterson said crews boosted the fuel recovery rate at the creek. Oil which had been up to 9 inches deep at one point was about 2 inches deep Wednesday.
"We're making very good progress. The rate of recovery has improved measurably, even dramatically, since [Tuesday]," Peterson said.
Fairfax County continued to monitor air samples and take calls from residents about possible long-term effects, Fire Chief Glenn Gaines said.
"The phone is ringing off the hook," Gaines said. "We have not detected any problems in the air samples that we've taken so far. And it's still too early to discuss long-term problems."
The Coast Guard laid additional containment booms near patches of fuel at Swan Creek along the Potomac River's shoreline in Prince George's County, Md., and at the Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge in Fairfax County early Wednesday, officials said.
No retrievable fuel was found at those locations, according to the Coast Guard.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB