The Salt Lake fire marshal has issued a class B misdemeanor citation against the building manager of the Deseret News for failing to report a diesel fuel spill.

About 400 gallons of fuel spilled in the basement of the Deseret News building, 30 E. 100 South, Jan. 3. The fuel was intended for a tank at the adjacent Newspaper Agency Corp.

The leak itself was not a crime, but failure to report it to the fire department was illegal, Salt Lake Fire spokesman Scott Freitag said.

The spill created noxious fumes throughout the building, but no one was injured. The fuel got into the sewer system and a fire protection system, Freitag said.

The building manager apparently told firefighters he thought he had made all of the necessary notifications, Freitag said.

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A class B misdemeanor carries a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

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