Ethanol Spill in Harbor
The following was posted on the OB Hamlet Blog by Caroline S. DuBois:
Nearly 4,000 gallons of Ethanol spilled in to Oyster Bay Harbor, late at night on December 6th, during a fuel transfer at Commander Oil. How long was it flowing before someone noticed? Were the monitors asleep at the switch? Who (if anyone) and when were local officials in the community notified? (Most folks first read about it in Newsday.) Does Commander Oil have adequate safety and monitoring procedures?
These are just some of the questions the Coast Guard and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation need to ask during their investigation. What else should they be asking on behalf of our community?
Having a fuel storage, mixing and transfer depot on the Eastern Waterfront is like an accident waiting to happen. Of course we need oil to heat our homes and power our cars, but we need to insist on the best management practices available to protect the safety of our neighbors and the health of our harbor.
There have been fuel spill accidents here before. This time we were very lucky. Evidently a pipe cracked during transfer allowing the fuel to gush into the containment area, near the coastal marsh of Whites Creek behind the Library. Why did it crack? Was it too old or too small to handle the pressure?
Ethanol is basically corn alcohol, used in automobile fuel to increase efficiency and reduce pollution. It is said to be "harmless", but it contains an additive making it poisonous for people to drink. In this case, it evaporated quickly, but it could have caught fire and caused extensive damage to the fuel depot and surrounding community. For more details check out the front page of the Oyster Bay Guardian's December 15, 2006 edition.
Nearly 4,000 gallons of Ethanol spilled in to Oyster Bay Harbor, late at night on December 6th, during a fuel transfer at Commander Oil. How long was it flowing before someone noticed? Were the monitors asleep at the switch? Who (if anyone) and when were local officials in the community notified? (Most folks first read about it in Newsday.) Does Commander Oil have adequate safety and monitoring procedures?
These are just some of the questions the Coast Guard and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation need to ask during their investigation. What else should they be asking on behalf of our community?
Having a fuel storage, mixing and transfer depot on the Eastern Waterfront is like an accident waiting to happen. Of course we need oil to heat our homes and power our cars, but we need to insist on the best management practices available to protect the safety of our neighbors and the health of our harbor.
There have been fuel spill accidents here before. This time we were very lucky. Evidently a pipe cracked during transfer allowing the fuel to gush into the containment area, near the coastal marsh of Whites Creek behind the Library. Why did it crack? Was it too old or too small to handle the pressure?
Ethanol is basically corn alcohol, used in automobile fuel to increase efficiency and reduce pollution. It is said to be "harmless", but it contains an additive making it poisonous for people to drink. In this case, it evaporated quickly, but it could have caught fire and caused extensive damage to the fuel depot and surrounding community. For more details check out the front page of the Oyster Bay Guardian's December 15, 2006 edition.
I know this is a bit off the topic, but what do you do when you see someone putting golf balls in the creek as well as dumping dead tree branches and other awful things that should not be dumped into our beautiful creek...There is a home in particular that I live close to that must think the creek is a garbage dump...They could care less about what they dump in the marsh...Its pitiful...Thanks for letting me at least vent...Happy New Year Bayville and peace to us all....
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The first thing to try is to report it to Bayville code enforcement and encourage them to send a letter to the house that is dumping. Getting them to stop should be the first priority. If that doesn't work, call the DEC and Fish and Wildlife - the fines involved with dumping in a National Wildlife Refuge should do the trick.
I walk that beach every morning and have been cleaning it up for 8 years. I have seen the golf balls, branches, grass clippings, potted plants and wheelbarrow loads from a driveway excavation dumped in the marsh grass - which I reported. Unfortunately, its not always easy to figure out who the culprit is just from what I see on a morning walk. If you know an address please report them.
I am assuming this is the section of beach west of Flower's Oyster Co.???
Barry
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Hi Barry...
Thanks for the reply! If you go all the way down Godfrey and walk along the creek you are bound to see what I mean...I do know the specific home, but I am worried about confrontations...I have complained to the town, but nothing has been done...I have asked for someone to drive down and take a peek, but since the dumping has not stopped I can't imagine they were notified or fined...Its just sad to see our beautiful wetlands get dumped on...I worry about the wildlife as well as the litter...I clean up the beach all the time as well and what a difference it would make if we ALL did that...Thanks again Barry...
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bayville resident,
call the DEC and report it, it can be done anonymously.
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It is good to post things like this since others might not be aware of what occurred or what to do if something occurs again. You can readily find contact information for the following on the Internet. For polluters and suspicious activities on the local watershed you can contact:
1) National Response Center: call 1-800-424-8802
2) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC): 1-800-847-7332 (TIPP DEC)
3) DEC's Region I office: (631) 444-0250
4)Deborah J. Long, Refuge Manager of the LI National Wildlife Refuge Complex: 631-286-0485 email: Deborah_long@fws.gov
5) Some local environmental organizations may also be helpful. Friends of the Bay can be reached at 922-6666.
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Hello. It?s like your batteries get low, and you need to charge them on someone else?s story.
I am from Hungary and also now'm speaking English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Think the concept of how to stop excessive sweating to be somewhat weird topic."
With best wishes
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Since when did Bayvilee become a garbage dump? There has been overflowing dumpsters on Ludlam Ave. for all to see for almost a month! Isn't that illegal? Not good for the village? Who is responsable?
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Buildings are expensive and not everybody is able to buy it. However, loan are created to help different people in such kind of situations.
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Good read. There is currently quite a lot of information around this subject on the net and some are most defintely better than others. You have caught the detail here just right which makes for a refreshing change – thanks.
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Getting them to stop should be the first priority.
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Life is like a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.- unknown
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