A hazardous-materials team and local firefighters spent most of Wednesday cleaning up approximately 150 gallons of pesticide that had spilled from an abandoned 300-gallon tank at the Lakeside green-box dump site.

Lincoln Chute, Flathead Office of Emergency Services Fire Service Area manager, said the spill was reported early Wednesday morning.

Somers-Lakeside Volunteer Fire Department provided initial response and the Kalispell Fire Department sent its hazardous-materials team to determine what chemicals were used and to clean them up.

The team dug up the impacted gravel and refilled the area with clean rock. The team worked with state officials and the governor’s office to coordinate the response, which wrapped up late Wednesday afternoon.

The green-box site was closed during the cleanup effort.

Chute said the person who left the tank there could be held financially liable for the spill but a suspect had not been identified.

“People need to have personal responsibility and take care of their stuff and recycle it through the proper sources,” Chute said.

He encouraged people to call his office or the Flathead County Landfill if they need to dispose of hazardous materials.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or by email at [email protected].