Nutley Investigating Illegal Dumping, 'Oily Sheen' In Third River

NUTLEY, NJ -- Nutley HAZMAT and Department of Public Works (DPW) employees are investigating the illegal dumping of a petroleum product into the storm water system that eventually made its way to the Third River in Booth Park, officials announced Friday.

According to town officials, an oily sheen was reported on Thursday, Jan. 26 in a small tributary of the Third River. Working together, both departments traced the origin to the area around Stager Street, between Franklin and Ravine Avenues.

Illegal dumping of petroleum products is a violation of the New Jersey Pollution Control Act. Any person caught discharging any substance, including leaves, litter and trash can be subject to both local and state fines plus the cost of the cleanup, officials said.

“All of our stormwater catch basins eventually empty into the Third and Passaic Rivers,” Mayor Joseph Scarpelli said. “Contaminants entering the Passaic River watershed adversely affect fish and other wildlife in and around the rivers.

“I advise residents not to dump or throw any waste into our catch basins in an effort to avoid polluting our waterways,”Scarpelli added.

Nutley officials said HAZMAT crews responded quickly, deploying absorbent booms that contained the spill. The swift action by the fire department mitigated potential damage and prevented the contamination from spreading any further.

“Luckily, we were able to act rapidly thanks to Nutley being the only Fire Department in Essex County besides Newark with a local HAZMAT team," Public Safety Commissioner Alphonse Petracco said.

“Those responsible for dumping illegally into our storm water system will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Petracco said.

Authorities said anyone with any information regarding the illegal discharge can contact Lt. Anthony Santoro of the Nutley Fire Department at 973-284-4940.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com