Mysterious 'Blue-Like Substance' Spill In Blind Brook Traced To School

PORT CHESTER, NY — Firefighters and state environmental officials spent much of the day searching for the source of a mysterious blue spill in the Blind Brook.

This Tuesday morning, the Port Chester Fire Department and the Rye Brook Fire Department were called to the scene of a "blue-like substance" in the water behind the Rye Ridge Shopping Center. Port Chester Fire Chief Sposta confirmed that there was indeed a mysterious blue substance in the water and requested the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and a Hazmat Coordinator from the Westchester County DEC.

Port Chester and Purchase fire crews investigated the waterway from Rye Brook all the way up to the Westchester County Airport trying to find the source spill.

Shortly after 6 p.m., Port Chester school officials confirmed that the school was the source of the unusual spill. The district released a statement saying that the NYS DEC and fire officials determined that a storm drain line near the middle school was the origin of the blue pollution.

With the assistance of the Greenwich Fire Department and the City of Rye Fire Department, the spill was contained.

The district said that the 20-inch line has since been inspected with a camera, vacuumed and cleared with high-pressure jet-cleaning equipment.

Officials have not yet identified exactly what the blue mystery substance is, but Rye Brook Fire Chief Herbie Bocchino told News 12 Westchester the spill doesn't pose a danger to the public.

"As of right now, there's no hazard to any humans," Bocchino told the station. "This is more of an environmental, waterway hazard."