A Stockton resident was arrested for allegedly dumping 280 gallons of petroleum into Smith Canal, triggering a major cleanup effort by several environmental agencies. The incident, reported on September 28, sparked a monthslong investigation that concluded in felony charges for destruction of public property and hazardous waste disposal. The Smith Canal, which serves recreational purposes, suffered minimal long-term environmental damage due to swift action by response teams. Officials emphasized the importance of public cooperation in addressing illegal dumping incidents to prevent future occurrences.
"We take these incidents very seriously, and the public's assistance in this case was paramount," Brunke told SFGATE. "We couldn't have done it without them."
"There's not a lot of major damage, but this is still a big deal. We don't want people illegally dumping oil. ... It's important that we figure out what happened and ensure it doesn't happen again."
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