A diesel fuel leak from a tank at Caterpillar Inc.'s proving grounds in East Peoria is being contained, the company said Wednesday.
Pipelines in the area have been shut off as repair work is conducted, said spokeswoman Kate Kenny.
Dennis McMurray, a spokesman for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, said the diesel fuel leak, which occurred in an underground pipe between a fuel tank and a fuel island at Caterpillar's facility, was first noticed Friday.
McMurray said diesel fuel reached nearby Ten Mile Creek.
"No volume has been determined," McMurray said of the spill, noting that three environmental firms - Decatur-based Bodine Environmental Services, Trans Environmental Services of Lawrence, Mass., and Milwaukee-based Veolia Environmental Services - are working on the clean-up.
McMurray said crews are removing above-ground pumps to help determine the cause of the spill, believed to have occurred at an elbow in an underground pipe.
Caterpillar has made "significant efforts" to collect the fuel and prevent further exposure to the area, Kenny said.
"Caterpillar representatives have contacted and met with the neighboring residents who are potentially affected by the leak. The company has pledged its ongoing support and open communication with the residents as we continue with the clean-up efforts," she said.
"Caterpillar has no reason to believe the diesel fuel is in the groundwater, but as a precautionary measure the company is working with an outside agency to conduct well water samples on those residences in the affected area," said Kenny.
Sara Sparkman, community relations manager for the Tazewell County Health Department, said her agency is working in a liaison role with Caterpillar, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois EPA regarding the leak.
"We're making sure that area residents with wells in the area know what's going on," said Sparkman. No boil order has been issued because boiling would not fully purify water tainted by fuel, she said.
Sparkman wasn't able to identify how many homes were potentially affected by the spill but called it "a small number."