A grease spill from a downtown Hollister restaurant Tuesday
morning seeped into streets, traveled one block and created a
biohazard. It was contained by city workers before reaching San
Benito Street, where the spill would have caused further health
risks and traffic delays.
City officials attributed the grease spill at Sixth and East
streets to the carelessness of a cleanup company hired by Cheung
Sheng restaurant to remove grease from the restaurant’s ventilation
system early Tuesday morning.
A grease spill from a downtown Hollister restaurant Tuesday morning seeped into streets, traveled one block and created a biohazard. It was contained by city workers before reaching San Benito Street, where the spill would have caused further health risks and traffic delays.
City officials attributed the grease spill at Sixth and East streets to the carelessness of a cleanup company hired by Cheung Sheng restaurant to remove grease from the restaurant’s ventilation system early Tuesday morning.
“It’s a fairly big spill,” Fire Marshal Mike O’Connor said while talking to another official on a cell phone.
The spill occurred during a routine cleaning process when a plastic barrier, designed to block grease from escaping and running into storm drains, ruptured, according to Barry Pew, owner of Salinas-based Speedy-Clean Pressure Washing. Pew said his cleaning crew did not realize the accident occurred before leaving the restaurant.
Cindy Glashan, owner of Designer Upholstery, called police at about 7:30 a.m. after noticing grease in the street near her business on East Street.
O’Connor and Code Enforcement Officer Tim Burns arrived and immediately placed cones around affected areas of the street and sidewalk.
Officials rushed to appoint a cleanup company because the grease created a “light biohazard,” according to O’Connor. Additionally, officials did not want to disrupt the Farmers Market today along East Street adjacent to Cheung Sheng.
One Earth Environmental, Inc. completed cleanup of the site, including seepage into several nearby storm drains, by Tuesday evening.
Hector Del Real, president of One Earth Environmental, arrived and stressed a necessity to prevent the grease from reaching San Benito Street drains.
“That would be a nightmare,” said Del Real, who added the cost would be tremendous and traffic delays would be imminent.
Burns pointed out several affected areas in the vicinity of the restaurant. Grease was visible on the restaurant’s roof, running along the street gutter to Seventh and East streets and inside several storm drains.
“It’s oozing out of the door,” Burns said.
Officials said the grease caused several health hazards, which Burns called “public safety issues.” They expressed a concern that people could slip and injure themselves. And O’Connor said contact on skin would likely cause irritation.
Also, solidified grease could plug storm drains, which would potentially create problems during the winter months, according to O’Connor.
City officials contacted the restaurant’s owners, who arrived shortly after 10 a.m. Ellen Fu, the owner’s daughter, was the first family member on the scene. O’Connor showed her the hazards, pointing toward the storm drains and a Dumpster behind the restaurant recently over-filled with garbage – likely by the cleanup crew, according to Burns. Under the same Dumpster, a drip pan had been placed, which was partially filled with grease.
Regarding the overnight cleaners, Fu said the incident was “definitely their fault.” During the late morning, Fu’s family reached Pew, who came to the site shortly thereafter.
“It’s a small thing that shouldn’t have happened, and it ends up being a fiasco,” Fu said.
A smaller grease spill occurred at Cheung Sheng about one year ago. Speedy-Clean Pressure Washing was involved during that spill as well.
The likelihood for Tuesday’s accident had been heightened, according to Pew, because Cheung Sheng had not performed the routine vent cleaning in 13 or 14 months. Pew recommended the procedure every three to four months.
Both parties said they will sever ties with each other.
Pew offered to pay for the services of One Earth Environmental, and officials told Fu that Cheung Sheng would be billed for time and services of city employees.
“Fortunately, the city is starting to crack down on this,” Del Real said.
