WATERBURY — Thousands of gallons of hydraulic oil leaked into the Naugatuck River on Saturday afternoon after a ball valve failed in an oil tank at the Somers Thin Strip Co. on Piedmont Street.
The Waterbury Fire Department, as well as officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and federal Environmental Protection Agency, responded to the scene at 215 Piedmont St.
“A ball-valve failure resulted in a hydraulic oil release of up to 6,000 gallons on their property, pavement, soil and a catch basin,” DEEP spokesman Chris Collibee said Saturday night. “Initially, it was believed the basin did not discharge the oil. However, a new incident of a reported sheen on the Naugatuck River pointed back to this location as the source.”
With cleanup efforts underway, DEEP crews are going to “probably go out throughout the river and see what kind of eco-damage has been done, if any,” David Poynton, DEEP’s emergency response coordinator, told reporters Sunday afternoon.
“We’re just going to have to continue to monitor the river and do our due diligence,” Poynton said.
Somers Thin Strip is a subsidiary of Olin Brass Co., which is headquartered in Louisville, Ky.
Olin Brass has retained its own cleanup company and is in the process of obtaining a licensed environmental professional, Poynton said.
Meanwhile, crews have installed booms and absorbent booms throughout several locations in the river, including in Beacon Falls and Seymour, which will be the primary collection sites, Poynton said.
The Waterbury Fire Department provided the initial response to the spill around 3 p.m. Saturday, after which DEEP’s hazmat team took over the response and cleanup efforts.
Poynton told reporters Sunday that DEEP approximates about 4,000 gallons had spilled, “but that number has not been confirmed.”
“We’re still waiting for the inventory to be done and how much left in the tank. It probably won’t be provided until [Monday],” Poynton said.
Poynton said among the spill’s impact to the river, is a clearly visible sheen on the water surface that will be noticeable “for some time.” That sheen has also pooled on the edges of the river and affected vegetation.
Poynton said that sheen is “going to continue to bleed off, and we’re going to have to wait for the natural continuation to occur for that issue.”
Poynton said there has been no fish kill as a result of the spill, although he advised against human consumption of any fish caught in the river.
Meanwhile, local advocates, Kevin and Sondra Zak, believe the environmental impact will be severe, after observing an oil sheen coating the river’s surface miles downstream and on beaches and other areas along its banks.
Kevin Zak, one of the founders of the Naugatuck River Revival Group, said just four ounces of oil dispersed on water “can cover almost your entire basement.”
He said the amount of oil estimated to have spilled could fill an entire school bus.
“This is a disaster,” Kevin Zak said, noting the potential impact to birds, fish and other wildlife.
“It’s a big impact, all the way down the river,” Sondra Zak said.
Poynton said a sheen is “nonrecoverable,” so cleanup efforts are focused on collecting what he called “free product.”
With heavy rains forecast earlier this week, crews will be pulling out a hard boom, because the extra rain is “just going to put a tremendous stress on that material,” Poynton said. “That rain event will help flush the river.”
Locations for cleanup in Beacon Falls and Seymour were determined based on water flow and safety, Poynton said.
“These guys here are wearing their winter gear and flotation devices. We have to be cognizant of life and safety,” he said.
Joseph Geary, Waterbury’s director of operations, sent out notification of the spill to the media, as well as to officials of other municipalities along the Naugatuck River.
“Based on the large sewage spill, (Waterbury) Mayor (Neil) O’Leary wanted to notify all the news outlets and the towns as part of our protocol,” Geary said.
The new protocol was implemented after a sewage spill last year was not immediately disclosed to the media and municipalities.
