Sweeper Drops Oil Down Hamilton Streets on Monday

No, it did not snow along Asbury Street on Monday afternoon.

The sand and salt spread along the road for about three quarters of a mile was to cover hydraulic oil and make it less slippery for drivers.

The oil came from a street sweeper being operated by American Sweeping, which was contracted by the town, said Joe Ferson, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection.

An elbow on the sweeper broke, spilling the oil onto the road just after 1 p.m.

Hamilton Fire Chief Phil Stevens said the leak started near Patton Park and extended down Asbury Street to Ricker Circle and Washington, Roosevelt, Arthur and Grant avenues in the neighborhood behind Daniella's Pizzeria.

The duty group of firefighters on Engine 1 spent about 2-1/2 hours helping with the cleanup, Stevens said.

The sweepers reservoir holds up to 31 gallons of hydraulic oil but it was not immediately clear how much was spilled on the road, Ferson said.

The oil got in to at least one storm drain but did not get into any environmentally sensitive areas.

“We don’t believe it got into more than a catch basin,” he said.

An environmental cleanup company, Enpro, was called to cleanup the oil.