Stockton man charged in 280-gallon petroleum spill

A Stockton man has been arrested after allegedly dumping approximately 280 gallons of petroleum into the Smith Canal, sparking an extensive cleanup effort and a monthslong criminal investigation.

The spill, which was reported on Sept. 28, prompted a cleanup effort from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies. The multi-agency team recovered oil from the waterway and removed impacted soil along the canal’s banks within a month, closely monitoring the situation afterwards, according to a CDFW news release. 

On Wednesday, officials announced that a suspect had been charged with felony counts of destruction of public property and hazardous waste disposal, along with two misdemeanor charges tied to the September 2024 dumping.

The Smith Canal, an approximately 2.4-mile waterway that moves water from the San Joaquin River through downtown Stockton, is primarily used for recreational boating and fishing, with residential areas lining the canal.

If convicted, the suspect could face jail time, hefty fines, or other legal penalties. The maximum civil penalty for improper hazardous waste disposal was increased from $25,000 to $70,000 per day per violation, as of 2018.

CDFW Capt. Richard Brunke said the suspect was identified with help from anonymous tips through CDFW’s CalTIP hotline.

“We take these incidents very seriously, and the public’s assistance in this case was paramount,” Brunke told SFGATE. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”

CDFW spokesperson Kristina Werner said that while long-term environmental damage was minimal, the situation could have been worse if not for the swift response. 

“There’s not a lot of major damage,” Werner said. “But this is still a big deal. We don’t want people illegally dumping oil. … It’s important that we figure out what happened and ensure it doesn’t happen again.” 

CDFW officials are urging the public to report suspicious activity through the CalTIP hotline (888-334-2258) to help prevent future environmental crimes.