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Fuel Spill At Construction Site Where Men Earlier Died

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality estimates between 100-200 gallons of fuel spilled at a Fayetteville Construction site Thursday morning (June 20...

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality estimates between 100-200 gallons of fuel spilled at a Fayetteville Construction site Thursday morning (June 20) after a forklift hit a diesel tank.

Officials said a private contractor cleaned up the spill and will report their findings.

"There was obviously product on the ground, but again those companies will come in and they`ll soak that up, they will put it in proper storage containers and they`ll take it to the appropriate landfills that except hazardous product," said John Luther, Washington County Emergency Management Director.

Initial estimates suggested 700 gallons of fuel had spilled.

The off-road diesel fuel traveled down a hillside into a storm drain, on railroad tracks then into a dry creek bed, according to Fayetteville Battalion Fire Chief, Mauro Campos.

The creek bed was dry, there was no water flow or any drainage in it so they were able to contain the leak, it traveled about 300 feet to the east and about 100 feet to the west," said Campos.

The accident happened around 8:15 a.m. at the Vue Apartments. No injuries were reported and crews built dikes to contain the leak to ensure the fuel does not get into the water. The ADEQ from Little Rock was called to the scene to investigate.

This is the same construction site where two workers were killed on the job earlier in the year. On May 9, Jess Wilson, 44, of Joplin, Mo., was installing siding on a boom lift when police say he struck his head on a high voltage power line, which killed him.

On May 5, a local man Brannon Rhine, 20, died on the site after he jumped in a trench when equipment struck a sewer line, and the hole collapsed around him.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating those deaths.

Click here for more stories involving accidents at the construction site.

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