Oil Spill Leaks Onto Montauk Highway

A section of Montauk Highway in the North Bellport/East Patchogue area continues to be cleaned by work crews as of Thursday afternoon following a Wednesday night oil spill from a tractor-trailer.

At approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday, the truck detoured from Montauk Highway and headed north onto Station Road and then into the parking lot of Miracle Plaza where the fuel continued to leak contaminating the ground and a nearby dry well.

Nicole Hart, Engineering Geologist and Project Manager of the Division of Environmental Remediation of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), was dispatched to the scene around 11 p.m by emergency response.

According to Hart, the Town of Brookhaven was called in to assess the situation for Station Road and the Miracle Plaza area while Suffolk County officials responded to assess Montauk Highway, also known as County Road 80.

Each team put down sand to soak up the fuel and then swept it up onto a tarp to be removed today by a DEC contractor. Fire marshals cleaned out the storm drain in Miracle Plaza that was heavily impacted and another on Montauk Highway that was slightly impacted.

"Last night what we did was an immediate mitigation of the drains, which means that we removed the product, and placed boon in the other drain [on Montauk Highway]. We removed the sand from the roadway and stockpiled it. We have two overpacked drums [in the Miracle Plaza parking lot] which are filled with water and diesel. They were secured overnight by the fire marshals," Hart said.

Hart further explained that based on an estimate for a full fuel tank, it is believed that the truck's fuel tank contained 150 gallons at the time. At this time it unknown how much leaked between the roadway and the two drains but 150 gallons of oil and water were removed from the drain at Miracle Plaza.

"The drain [at Miracle Plaza] is not affecting anything. It is self-contained. However, there is still sediment in the bottom. The drain [on Montauk Highway] is also self-contained. They are catch basins for the run-off for the parking lot and the roadway. There are no surface waters impacted to my knowledge but the investigation will be ongoing," Hart said.

Nick Harding of HTM Landscaping is responsible for the landscaping and maintenance of the plaza.

"When I arrived here around 10 last night, everyone was still on scene. They left around 3:30 in the morning. They put down sand with the sand machines and then they had street sweepers following to collect the contaminated sand," Harding said.

Abdul Chaubhal, an employee of the nearby gas station, expects business to continue as usual.

"The driver came around the side [of the gas station] and his big tank was leaking. He came around the back side and police followed him. The fire marshals were right behind them. It's not really on the property though," Chaubhal said.

Members of the Bellport Fire Department, Bellport Emergency Medical Services, Fire Marshals, Suffolk County Police Department's 5th Precinct, Public Works from Suffolk County, and Town of Brookhaven all participated in the overnight cleanup efforts.

The trucking company is based out of Florida. The driver and the trucking company were not available for comment.