Fuel leak worse than initially reported

The environmental damage from a fuel leak on Kelowna’s downtown waterfront was much larger than the city first reported last year.

While only about 1 litre of gasoline made its way into Okanagan Lake, a staggering 10,000 litre of fuel has saturated the soil in Kerry Park.

Initial testing of the soil around a fuel storage tank by the beach showed no contamination last year, following testing by the city.

But further research by environmental consultants found that a decommissioned gas line near the fuel tank at Kerry Park had leaked thousands of litres of fuel deep into the soil.

The City of Kelowna is waiting to remove the contaminated dirt because the smell is so strong when the land is excavated; the project was initially planned for last fall.

“Right now we anticipate shutting Kerry Park down in September, probably for about a month,” said Ron Forbes, property manager for the City of Kelowna. “We’ll re-establish the walkway on the promenade as quickly as we can. But the remainder of the landscaped area will probably remain closed for a couple of months, until the grass can take hold again.”

The property from the edge of Queensway to the parking lot in Kerry Park will be excavated.

The city did not renew the lease for the business, known as the Kelowna Marina, because soil removal is planned for late this summer.

The gas bar and boat rental will not be open this year.

The city says the repairs to Kerry Park will be recovered from the Kelowna Marina’s insurance coverage, since it owned the fuel tank and lines.

The Kelowna Marina was owned by 381713 BC, a numbered company co-owned by Stewart Smith, who developed Barona Beach in West Kelowna and currently owns Scandia Golf and Games on Highway 97.

He did not return CHBC News calls for an interview.

The city wants to improve the amenities along the downtown waterfront for 2012 and is seeking proposals for a new business that will operate at the location and provide boat fuel sales, boat rentals, public moorage.