Several hundred litres of heating oil leaked into the ground

There was a major fire brigade operation in Hagendorn on Thursday: a large quantity of leaked heating oil caused some environmental pollution. So far, however, no fish have died.
 

Several hundred litres of heating oil leaked into the ground, the sewer system, and into the Lorze River in Cham on Thursday morning. According to the Zug Police, a large quantity of heating oil escaped on Thursday morning while the heating oil tank of an apartment building on the Dorfstrasse in Hagendorn was being filled.

The Zug Fire Brigade (Stützpunktfeuerwehr), in cooperation with the Cham Fire Brigade, immediately initiated measures to prevent further heating oil from entering the waterway. Additional oil spill containment measures were also implemented, and numerous oil booms were deployed at several locations along the Lorze River.

The police also stated that a special dispersant had been sprinkled into the water. This substance will help to contain and pump out the heating oil.

The oil booms will remain in place for the next few days, and will be maintained by the Zug Fire Brigade, who will pump out any further collected heating oil. Several fire brigades in the neighbouring cantons of Zurich and Aargau have also initiated similar oil spill response measures.

Several hundred litres of heating oil leaked in Cham
The contained heating oil is being pumped out   
Several oil booms have been deployed                    Photos: Zug Police
 

No fish killed so far,
The soil contaminated with heating oil at the affected property must now be removed and disposed of properly. According to the police, this involves an area of three by three metres. The affected sewer system is being pumped out and cleaned by a private sewer cleaning company.

According to the Zug Police, no fish kills (Fischsterben) have occurred in the Lorze River at this time, and the cause of the heating oil leak is now under investigation. Based on current findings, a technical malfunction is the most likely cause.

Numerous members of the Cham Fire brigade and the Zug Fire brigade (FFZ), employees of the Fire Inspectorate, the Office for Forests and Wildlife (Amt für Wald und Wild), the Office for the Environment, a private sewer cleaning company, employees of the environmental offices of the cantons of Zurich and Aargau, various fire departments from the cantons of Zurich and Aargau, and emergency personnel from the Zug Police were involved in the operation.

Source: Zug Police