Bits of rock dust rolled down Tanyard Creek Thursday morning, bringing the creek to the University’s attention for the second time this year.

The rock dust, which appeared as a milky white substance near Legion Pool, was caused by the construction of monitoring wells, said Jamie Lewis of the Environmental Protection Division’s Athens Office.

Tanyard Creek is polluted by rock dust four months after it was dyed pink and white by paint.

“One of those gas stations on Baxter had an issue with an underground storage tank. They were afraid it might have leaked,” Lewis said. “So what they do when that happens is they put in these monitoring wells in the surrounding areas in clean soil. The wells are monitoring the groundwater to make sure it’s clean, and if any oil or gasoline shows up in the water then they know it’s reached that area.”

John McCollum, the University’s associate vice president for environmental safety, said the wells were being drilled by a private consultant hired to investigate the leak.

“The fine dust associated with that, they allowed to escape the groundwater monitoring installation site,” McCollum said.

Lewis said the wells were being drilled near Brumby.

“The rock dust went down a storm drain and then went into the creek,” he said.

Officials began investigating the substance near midday Thursday, McCollum said. Lewis said McCollum reported the appearance to the EPD and accompanied him to the site to investigate the substance.

“We went out and looked at it together and found the source of it,” Lewis said.

Last November, the University got in hot water with state environmental regulators after workers accidentally washed paint tubes in a sink draining into the creek, dying the creek pink and white. The tubes came from a painting machine used earlier to paint Sanford Stadium.

In December, the Environmental Protection Division began preparations to fine the University for the spill.

McCollum said the material from Thursday’s incident had begun to dissipate by the afternoon.

“By the time we got over there it was diminishing and running clear, but it was a direct result of [the company’s] activities there,” he said.

Both the company and the workers have been alerted to the problem, and are taking precautions to prevent future contamination.

“Thankfully it wasn’t anything worse than [sediment dust],” McCollum said.