Spilled diesel fuel threatens river
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Cleanup crews are working to keep a diesel spill from seeping into a pristine Northern California waterway about 10 miles south of the Oregon border.
Officials with the Department of Fish and Game said Sunday that workers mopping up about 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled from a tanker truck last week had found fuel in a trench about 50 feet from the Smith River.
The Smith is the last major undammed river in California and a favorite of anglers for its stocks of salmon and steelhead.
Fish and Game spokeswoman Carol Singleton said crews had removed about 100 cubic yards of diesel-soaked soil between the river and California 199. A plastic curtain was installed along the shoreline to stop any leaks.
Officials said no fuel has been detected in the river so far.
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