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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Very little of the 33,000 gallons of oil that spilled into a Salt Lake City creek in June remains in the area, a Chevron spokesman said.
Crews have identified and removed most of the visible oil at Red Butte Creek, and "hand-washing" operations have ceased, spokesman Dan Johnson told the Desert News for a story published Saturday.
City officials continue to monitor work being performed by Chevron to clean up an area stretching from the spill site on University of Utah property near Red Butte Garden to the Jordan River.
Chevron has been working with the University of Utah on a remediation plan that will involve re-contouring the ground where the oil seeped from a 10-inch diameter pipe.
Most of the absorbent booms have been removed from the Jordan River, though a few remain at culvert outlets as a precaution, Johnson said.
"Ultimately, the question still remains is how clean is clean, and that has to be answered by the independent agencies involved," Johnson said. "We still have work to do. We're not done yet, but we are making good progress."
Local officials have said long-term environmental impacts of the spill remain unknown and mitigation efforts may take years.
The first in a series of meetings examining long-term health concerns, private property damage and environmental rehabilitation will be held Monday.
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