GERMANTOWN—The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is investigating the illegal dumping of an oil tank in the Hudson River, the night of March 2.
The Columbia Paper received a news tip from Tom Shannon of Germantown, who said he took a walk down to Cheviot Park March 3 and noticed oil stains on the road and heading south on the access path.
Mr. Shannon said he spoke to someone who lives down there, who reported hearing scraping the night before and saw a small pickup truck take a home heating oil tank down the road, across the tracks, then down the access path.
Mr. Shannon said he reported it to the DEC.
According to a statement from the DEC, the agency received a report of an oil tank in the Hudson River at the end of Cheviot Road, about a quarter mile south of Cheviot Park.
The DEC Division of Law Enforcement immediately responded to the location March 4 and observed “a 275-gallon heating oil tank on the banks of the Hudson River. The tank was mostly empty with some sludge at the bottom and no impacts to the river were observed.
“DEC’s spills contractor was contacted and successfully removed the tank within hours. The tank will be cut and cleaned for proper disposal.”
DEC’s active investigation into this incident is ongoing.
Anyone who witnesses an environmental crime or believes a violation of environmental law occurred should call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).