Home Renovation Sends Heating Oil Into Lake Carmel

LAKE CARMEL, NY — A homeowner who caused heating oil to spill into Lake Carmel was issued two tickets by New York State Conservation Police. One was for failing to report a spill, and the other for polluting the lake.

On Dec. 3, Environmental Conservation Officer Craig Tompkins received a call reporting a home heating oil spill entering Lake Carmel in Kent.

Kent Police Department officers, the first to respond, detected a petroleum odor around the lake, which they traced back to a discharge pipe close to the shoreline. Lake Carmel Fire Department responded and traced the heating oil through the storm sewer system to a home being renovated. The Putnam County Hazardous Material Response Team contained the oil on Lake Carmel.

ECO Tompkins and DEC Spills Responder Keith Browne focused on cleaning up the spill.

Staff from Tri-State Environmental Services Inc. arrived later in the day, finished the cleanup and determined that there were no impacts to drinking water.

The oil came from two above-ground oil tanks that had been removed from the property under renovation a few days before. The homeowner said he removed the tanks himself and disposed of them.

He was issued tickets for failing to report a spill within two hours as required by Environmental Conservation Law and polluting the waters of the state in contravention of standards. Both tickets are returnable to the Town of Kent Court in January 2018.

PHOTO: Lake Carmel Fire Department placing booms along the shoreline/ NYDEC