SAN FRANCISCO—An oil spill caused road closures South of VanNess Avenue on Howard and 12 Street around 12 p.m. on Tuesday, November 20. The cause of the spill is unclear and currently under investigation. The oil spill was the result of a truck. 

According to Dave Lee, owner of the Gaslamp cafe, a motorcyclist lost control due to the oil spill. He was not injured, but his motorcycle was damaged.

San Francisco Police, San Francisco Fire and HAZMAT (Hazardous Material) crews were all on scene for a few hours cleaning up the mess.

The first step in the clean up was covering the entire spill with kitty litter to soak up the oil, then street cleaners removed the residue of toxic waste and preventative measures such as using booms to block storm drains were used. Booms are made up of materials that can soak up oil and other toxic waste so that it doesn’t end up in our surface water and in our oceans.

A Matter of Trust, a non-profit whom’s mission is to focus on positive ecological change for the environment also acted fast to clean up the spill.

“We just grabbed a bunch [of booms] and ran out,” said Lisa Gautier of Matter of Trust. “We put booms around the four storm drains.” “It’s all thanks to the people who donate hair and fur,” said Gautier.

Gautier expressed gratitude for the community that makes this all possible by donating hair and fur.

“It’s a great community here, we’re so thankful for all the pet groomers and hair salons who donate to us,” said Gautier.

Hazmat and SF Fire have not released any new details regarding the cause of the incident.