NEW CANAAN — The State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection aided the town in locating an oil source that was found to have leaked its way into Bristow Sanctuary pond, said Kathleen Holland, the town’s director of Inland Wetlands, on Monday.
Absorbent booms, installed to stem the flow of oil from the tributaries, were still in place by noon Monday at the 16.8-acre nationally renowned and recently restored park.
DEEP’s Emergency Response Division identified a 275-gallon tank had been leaking from an above ground oil tank on private property on Douglas Road less than a half-mile south of the park, Holland said. The tank “had a small dripping leak along the seam.”
The leaked oil “migrated to a partially piped watercourse that eventually flows into the Bristow Sanctuary watercourse,” Holland said. “The owner was unaware of the issue and is fully cooperating with DEEP to mitigate the spill.”
In preparations for the park’s 100th anniversary, the town spent more than $200,000 to renovate the increasingly popular walking space next to Mead Memorial Park. The pond was dredged, paths were widened to accommodate visitors of all age groups, fences were fixed and landscaping was upgraded to include more native plants over the last couple of years.
“In order to prevent an accidental release and a costly clean-up,” homeowners should conduct regular tank maintenance as per DEEP instructions, Holland said.
“Now, we will have to see the results of the remediation to understand the impact on the amphibians and turtles. Fortunately, the bird migration is just getting underway, so that impact is minimized,” said Conservation Commission Chairman Chris Schipper, who first spotted the oil sheen near the pond.
“What you do on your property can affect the environmental resilience of our town which is blessed with many rivers, streams, ponds and wetlands,” he cautioned residents.
DEEP recommends homeowners check their heating equipment yearly, either by asking their oil delivery company or doing it themselves. Residents should check the condition of their oil tanks by looking for blisters, wet spots, rust, dents, bulges or drips and “check the lines and fittings from the tank to the furnace to look for drips.”
“This is a precautionary event, where all of us with oil tanks should be more observant regarding leaks — including the heating oil suppliers,” Schipper added. “I first spotted the oil sheen when I was restocking the Bristow bird feeders last Friday.”
Soon after, he sent a photo to Tiger Mann, who alerted Holland and “the town swung into action,” he said.
Fire Marshal Paul Payne was alerted and, soon after, firefighters installed the booms. “I am pretty impressed by their speed of response, including the fire marshal and the fire department in placing absorbent booms across the waterway to soak up the oil,” Schipper said.
Holland thanked DEEP for the help in “resolving the contamination issue that was effecting the water resource in the Douglas Road and Bristow Sanctuary area,” and eliminating the source of “contamination.”
DEEP’s fact sheet explains that “if fuel oil is in groundwater or soil, the licensed environmental contractor will usually collect water and soil samples to help guide their cleanup activities.”
Schipper added that many “need to be more thoughtful about the use of herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers upstream of our parks and lakes and neighborhoods.”
If residents smell oil, they should call the local fire department, call 1-866-DEP-SPIL or 860-424-3338.
Read More:DEEP helps identify source of oil spill that leaked into recently-restored New Canaan pond
2022-02-14 23:18:44