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Man accused of spilling hazardous waste across Santa Rosa from moving trailer

/ CBS San Francisco

A man hauling a horse trailer from Petaluma to Oregon last month allegedly spilled liquid hazardous waste from the trailer all over Santa Rosa, authorities said.

Santa Rosa police said officers responded at 10:03 a.m. on Sept. 28 to multiple 911 reports of diesel fuel spills in various locations in the city. Several hundred gallons of liquid spilled onto numerous roadways, prompting full and partial road closures and significant responses from police, firefighters, the California Highway Patrol, public works crews, and Caltrans.

Five large plastic totes, each carrying several hundred gallons of liquid waste, fell onto roads, police said. Several sustained damage and leaked roughly 300 gallons of hazardous waste in six different locations.

Roads were closed for approximately four hours as each site was cleaned.

The Santa Rosa Fire Department's hazardous materials team determined the liquid was a combination of diesel fuel, waste oil, gasoline and other liquids commonly associated with auto repair.

Police began a criminal investigation into the spill. Through witness accounts and various security camera footage near many of the spill locations, officers learned the containers of liquid fell from the back of a silver-colored horse trailer being towed by a 2019 red Chevrolet passenger truck, both with Oregon license plates.

Police learned Lester Sturm, a 78-year-old resident of Oregon, drove the truck. Sturm came to California to pick up the horse trailer he stored in Petaluma. Strum stored the liquid hazardous waste and containers in the horse trailer and intended to transport the liquids to his property in Malin, Oregon.

Sturm met with investigators Tuesday in Santa Rosa. Investigators said the spills were negligent and not intentional. Sturm was issued an arrest citation on suspicion of felony dumping of a hazardous substance and felony false labeling of a hazardous material.

Sturm will be required to return to California for future court hearings related to this investigation.

Santa Rosa police said they dedicated at least 17 employees for approximately 61 hours during the initial response to conduct traffic control and provide support to other agencies during the lengthy cleanup operation. 

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