On Monday the City of Geneva released an updated statement on the petroleum spill that’s been part of a clean-up effort since early-Sunday.
The spill itself occurred on March 4th, according to the updated press release. “The City of Geneva Police, Fire, and Public Works departments were on-site immediately following the report of the incident. The NYSDEC was contacted and continues to investigate the situation,” city officials said.
As of Monday, March 6th the location of the spill had been determined and contamination was contained. “The spill has been determined to be petroleum based and the spill originated from a property located at the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Buffalo Street,” the statement continued. “A container on the property which held up to 250 gallons of petroleum material was left open allowing the material to be released from the container.”
City officials say the spill has been contained through spill booms, berms, and vacuum systems.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation will continue investigating the spill and provide updates once concluded.
Officials said there are no precautionary measures needed by city residents at this time.
Original: Investigation underway after large petroleum spill into Marsh Creek, Seneca Lake
A significant petroleum spill caused major concern among residents in the city of Geneva over the weekend, as city agencies and the state Department of Environmental Conservation work to contain it.
The initial reporting came in Saturday afternoon, that a substance had somehow leaked into Seneca Lake. Aerial photos show the oil-appearing substance flowing well out into the lake.
Marsh Creek was also impacted, according to photos from the area.
City officials said in a press release that they were notified of the spill on March 4th and that they have been on-site working with the DEC to mitigate it.
While city officials confirmed they knew the source of the spill, apparently blocks away from the lake itself, they stopped short of identifying the owner of the property.
A fuel container that was leaking at another property in the city made its way into a storm sewer, which then made its way down Marsh Creek and into Seneca Lake.
It’s unclear what the long-term toll of the spill could be for that site or Marsh Creek.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.
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