State environmental authorities clean up kerosene spill near Mt. Philo
A kerosene tank along Mount Philo Road in Charlotte and Shelburne was reported Dec. 30 to have spilled an unknown amount of oil into the nearby storm drain and stream along the properties. State environmental authorities began a clean-up process that day.
The tank legs had sunk into the soil and the filter housing, which attaches to the tank, broke off the tank. The seal was from the tank to the pipe and released fuel. The owner has since removed the tank and no longer uses kerosene.
The Department of Environmental Conservation was notified there was a “red dyed fuel in the tributary” which goes over a land bridge. The call was put in by the caretaker of Peter Dietrich of Shelburne, who noticed the fuel in the waterway when she was driving to Dietrich’s house.
Jaymi Cleland, who is with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Spill Team, worked with the Miller Environmental Group (MEG) to put fuel absorbent materials into the ground and stream at the spill site. The majority of the oil ran down into a storm drain into a drainage ditch, some of it going into the stream nearby.
“Where the spill occurred we have source removed contaminated soil,” said Cleland. “So far we have generated approximately 50-60 tons [of soil] transported off site.”
When the excavation is complete, MEGand the Vermont DEC will to take tests to ensure proper cleanup levels. They have also removed all floating hydrocarbons (kerosine) from the waterway.
The majority of the oil was contained within the soil around the spill and cleaned up. There is little possibility for widespread soil contamination because the kerosine did not flow across large areas of topsoil but directly into the storm drain, according to Lee Krohn, Shelburne Town Manager.
“It stayed pretty well-contained,” Krohn said.
The MEG and the DEC performed preliminary testing on the ground, but results are still unavailable. The testing will reveal if there is still kerosene in the soil and how far it is spread. They also tested wells surrounding the spill site, all of which came back negative for petroleum contaminants.
The state is unsure if there is still more oil in the soil, and will have to wait until the ground thaws to check again.
“Our fear,” said Elise Seraus, the daughter of Peter Dietrich, whose property is near the spill site, “is if it’s going to damage the landscape and the trees and roots that hold the banks.”
Cleland doesn’t anticipate any negative effects for the vegetation or wildlife around the spill.
“Once the thaw happens and the tributary waters start moving again, the environmental cleanup company will come back and do that assessment” Cleland said.
