HEBRON — The Department of Environmental Protection said Wednesday that no responsibility has been assigned for what will probably be an expensive and long-term effort to clean up thousands of gallons of heating oil that spilled at the Hebron Station School two weeks ago.
“We have not made a determination on the responsible party yet,” said Jessamine Logan, spokeswoman for the DEP.
A total of 1,900 gallons of oil leaked out of the school basement tank Dec. 24 as it was being filled by a driver from the C.N. Brown oil company in South Paris. The accident forced about 135 elementary school students to be temporarily relocated to Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris this week.
While C.N. Brown has hired a response team to work with the Department of Environmental Protection in the cleanup, it is not clear yet who will be held liable for what may be a “fairly significant” cost to clean up the oil, Logan said.
It is believed about 1,700 to 1,800 gallons of oil is sitting underneath the school’s basement tank room, which is on a concrete slab, and only a small amount went into adjacent wetlands.
The cleanup plan will be determined by where the oil is, weather conditions and other factors, she said.
According to SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts, maintenance workers at the school asked C.N. Brown on Dec. 23 to fill the 2,000-gallon tank because the fuel gauge showed it was running low.
An oil truck came the next day and pumped in about 160 gallons before a whistle that indicates there is more space in the tank, stopped blowing. Usually, Colpitts said, if the whistle stops it means the tank is full, but in this case, the fuel gauge continued to read empty, and the driver decided to continue pumping.
As a result, oil overflowed and sprayed out of several parts of the tank, covering its self-contained concrete bunker under the school with about a foot of oil.
Colpitts said the bunker is made of concrete, a porous material. The Department of Environmental Protection has said it was probably not a true containment room because they are usually lined with fiberglass.
Once the oil leak was discovered, the school was assured by C.N. Brown that someone would be back to pump it out immediately. Colpitts said that never happened and the room was empty of oil within six hours. The empty room was found by school maintenance workers on Dec. 25.
According to Colpitts, C.N. Brown’s insurance company representative, engineer and other staff are working with the DEP in its identification of the oil spill locations and cleanup efforts.
“The company has apologized in a written statement published in the newspaper and (has been) cooperative with the state and district in the cleanup effort,” he said.
Colpitts said SAD 17 has notified its insurance carrier of the oil leak and the potential claim, but at this point C.N. Brown appears to be covering all costs of the cleanup.
C.N. Brown President Jinger Duryea issued a brief statement after the leak was discovered and apologized for the “inconvenience” but has declined to comment further.
ldixon@sunjournal.com
Hebron students to remain at high school this week
PARIS — About 135 students and staff of Hebron Station School will continue to attend classes at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School through Friday, SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts said Wednesday night.
“We will not move students back to the Hebron school until we can be assured by the state’s department overseeing the cleanup that our health and safety concerns are addressed,” he said in a message delivered to parents and others.
Colpitts said water and air samples have returned within normal ranges, but an alternative plan is being implemented to avoid using wellwater during the heating oil cleanup at the school.
“The school’s air tests have results within the normal range and the water well has not been tainted by oil,” he said. “The district is hoping to protect the well for future use by not using the well until the oil cleanup is completed. The Department of Health and Human Services has approved a plan to provide water to the school and the district is now in process of implementing that plan.”
The school will truck in water to its holding tank for the time being, he said.
On Friday, the superintendent will announce plans for next week and a community forum is being planned for Tuesday, Jan. 14.
ldixon@sunjournal.com
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