Gas leak wreaks havoc on Truckee businesses

TRUCKEE -- Now that Donner Pass Road is open, business should be back to normal in no time.

Although damages, in terms of cost to business owners, are difficult to calculate in all situations, some businesses sustained significant losses while authorities cleaned up a propane leak discovered last month.

Mark Stearns, owner of Dairy Queen, estimates he lost around $3,000 a day in sales during his 21-day closure. "Thank goodness for us that this is a slow time of the year for us," Stearns said. "I do rely on (skiers), but the fact of the matter is, good thing it wasn't July or August."

Businesses that rely on the winter patrons haven't been so lucky.

"You've got to figure our business is a four-month business, and one month is gone," said Granite Chief owner Herb Manning from his store in Squaw Valley. He estimates 85 percent of his yearly sales occur in the four winter months.

Manning's store in Squaw Valley has been open for more than 20 years, and his Truckee store opened about five years ago to service skiers and snowboarders headed for Truckee-area resorts.

"For us, the ski business is hard enough," Manning said. "The snow business, so to speak, is hard enough. And then to be closed for a month is just ridiculous."

Although Manning has spoken to the AmeriGas insurance representative, he said he has yet to see a dime for the impact the leak has had on his business.

Manning's Truckee store has been one of the focal points of propane removal since Donner Pass Road opened more than a week ago.

After authorities determined they had a handle on the propane leak -- which may have let approximately 22,000 gallons of gas seep into the soil near AmeriGas property since March -- their first priority was to open Donner Pass Road before Presidents Day weekend.

That goal was accomplished, but the cleanup isn't over. The Truckee Fire District, Truckee, Nevada County, and AmeriGas and its consultants are still working to suck the propane vapors from the soil.

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board became involved when traces of propane were found in ground water.

Tammy Lundquist of Lahontan said AmeriGas and its consultants need to come up with a plan to decontaminate the water. The plan must be approved by Lahontan before that process can begin.

"They have to investigate the extent of the contamination," Lundquist said. "It shouldn't be in the ground water anyway."