DEEP working to clean up spill from oil truck crash

By Ashley RK Smith, Susan Raff

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    CHESHIRE, Connecticut (WFSB) — The Cheshire Police Department is investigating after an oil truck rolled over on Bethany Mountain Road Friday.

Up to 2,000 gallons of home heating oil leaked out and into a nearby storm drain.

DEEP spokesperson Will Healey said the oil continued under the roadway and into a dry creek bed.

Fire officials reacted immediately and damned the creek downstream about 100 feet away from Route 42.

The area of the spill is a public water supply watershed area, and there are both public water supply service areas and private wells in the area. So far, there aren’t any concerns that the water has been impacted. “The unfortunate part of it almost two thousand gallons of home heating oil has leaked onto the roadway there, which will cause extensive cleanup and remediation,” Cheshire Police Chief Neal Dryfe said. Local health department, State Department of Public Health, and Regional Water Authority officials are assessing the situation. As of Friday night, 100 gallons of free floating oil has been removed from the area so far. Excavation efforts continue and about six to thirty dumpsters containing contaminated soil have been removed. The driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Initially, officials anticipated that the road will be closed through the weekend, later saying that it will be closed until further notice.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

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