Northport Confirms Federal Criminal Investigation Into Oil Spill

Correction: Northport Fire Chief Bart Marshall on Tuesday issued a correction to erroneous statements on Monday citing Miller Petroleum as one of the company's potentially involved in the spill. The other company is Delta Oil Services. Tuscaloosa Patch apologizes for any misrepresentation.

NORTHPORT, AL — City of Northport officials confirmed a criminal investigation by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now underway following an oil spill near the southern end of Burgess Truck & Equipment Repair off of Mitt Lary Road.

In an interview with Patch on Monday, Northport Fire Chief Bart Marshall confirmed the criminal investigation — a few days after being the first public official to mention the spill on Saturday.

Monday morning saw crews from Spectrum Environmental Services, hired by Burgess and under state management, on site and working at a noticeably quick pace. Heavy machinery downed trees to block the path used by Patch and residents to discover the site of the spill, as cleanup efforts move forward.

Marshall said the last report he received from Spectrum and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) said approximately 75 cubic yards of contaminated soil had been removed from the spill site and progress was being made. The target date for completion of the cleanup efforts will be in the next 30 days, he said.

The City of Tuscaloosa reportedly sent officials to conduct testing, too, Marshall said, due to the proximity of the spill into stream feeding into Carroll's Creek, which is a primary tributary to Lake Tuscaloosa and a source of drinking water for thousands.

"On April 16, the owner of Burgess was out of town at that time, so normally you have to have somebody to take responsibility," the fire chief pointed out, before saying that Delta Oil Services had two trucks near the site that could have been the origin of the spill. "[Delta Oil] did not take responsibility, and the Burgess property owner was not available, so with him not being able to take ownership, nobody claiming responsibility for the spill, ADEM contacted EPA out of Atlanta."

Attempts to contact ADEM and EPA officials by Patch had not been returned as of the publication of this story.

Marshall also stressed for the public to know that air quality testing was not recommended by the EPA, which he said normally errs on the side of caution in hazmat events. What's more, he maintained the position that runoff from the spill has not reached creek water.

Here's a timeline of event's leading up to today

March 16 — Northport Police Department takes to Facebook to ask for the public's help identifying the source of a foul, chemical smell in the vicinity of Huntington Place.

April 15 — Northport Fire Rescue receives call of an odor from Fairwood Drive in Huntington. Crews arrive on seen, walk the wood line and discover the source of the odor and black sludge appear to be petroleum. NFR returns later that night after it was discovered that the property is under the jurisdiction of Tuscaloosa County, so normal protocol is followed and Tuscaloosa County EMA is contacted.

April 16 — ADEM arrives at spill site. Emergency officials then find that the owner of Burgess Truck & Equipment Repair is out of town and Miller Petroleum, which had two trucks parked near the site of the spill, also declined to take responsibility for the spill. State officials contact the EPA.

April 17 — Tuscaloosa Patch is first made aware of spill and receives photos of black sludge gathering in stream water. Upon the first visit to the site, dead foliage and undergrowth is visible near the south end of the Burgess property, which meets with backyards on Palmetto Street in Huntington Gardens. Spectrum Environmental Services arrives on scene after being hired by Burgess to begin cleanup efforts.

April 24 — Northport Fire Chief Bart Marshall confirms spill, but stops short of naming Burgess Truck & Equipment Repair as being responsible for the spill. A resident takes Tuscaloosa Patch to the spill site for the first time (More on Patch)

April 25 — City of Northport cites Burgess as the site of the spill, in addition to confirming investigation by state and federal officials. Northport Councilwoman Jamie Dykes discusses spill with Tuscaloosa Patch (More on Patch)

April 26 — Residents watched as heavy machinery from Spectrum Environmental Services blocked the wooded walking path used to access the spill site. Residents of Palmetto Street continue to express frustration at the lack of prior notification once the spill had been identified.

Tuscaloosa Patch is also actively working to host a Town Hall event for residents and officials to gather next week and will post more information as the final details are finalized.

If you are one of the residents impacted by this spill and want to share your story or have questions/concerns, please email me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.