Generator at NASCAR Plaza spills 1,000 gallons of oil into Little Sugar Creek

It could take days for crews to clean Little Sugar Creek after a generator at the NASCAR Plaza building in uptown spilled 1,000 gallons of diesel into a storm drain on Wednesday. The fuel emptied into the creek and traveled 4 miles south to the Park Road Shopping Center.

Crews were still using machinery to suction oil from the creek’s waters at Pearl Street Park near the Metropolitan when officials said the greenway along the creek was still safe to use. But they warned that people and pets should stay clear of the water through the weekend.

Officials are investigating what “enforcement actions might occur as a result of this discharge,” Kristen O’Reilly, water quality specialist with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, said during an afternoon news conference.

Any penalties would be levied against Parkway Properties, which owns the building, and could include fines of up to $5,000-per-day, said Craig Miller, also with storm water services. Officials stressed that NASCAR is not liable for the spill.

Parkway Properties issued a statement, saying: “We are aware of today’s investigation relating to a potential environmental condition in the vicinity of NASCAR Plaza and are fully cooperating with the authorities to resolve it.”

Residents and joggers who complained of the smell first alerted firefighters to the spill around 7 a.m. About an hour later, a park ranger spotted sheen in the water, and crews tracked the spill’s source to the NASCAR Plaza on South Caldwell Street.

It’s unclear why the building’s generator leaked oil. Mark Boone, storm water services spokesman, said employees performing upgrades at the site might have affected the generator, “but there’s no way right now to be able to say conclusively what caused this to happen.”

Officials also said it was too early to determine the cleanup’s cost or timeline, although it’s likely crews will work through the Thanksgiving weekend, said Olivia Edwards, storm water services environmental supervisor. Because of the extent of the spill, the price tag could reach six figures, she said.

There were no signs Wednesday of negative impacts to aquatic life in the stream, although one resident called to report observing waterfowl covered with petroleum, Edwards said. Carolina Waterfowl Rescue was on hand to rescue, clean and rehabilitate any birds found trapped in oil.

Staff writer Joe Marusak contributed.

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Generator at NASCAR Plaza spills 1,000 gallons of oil into Little Sugar Creek."