Crews are still cleaning up the oil that spilled earlier this
month on Hedgehog Lane in Bradford Township, a Department of
Environmental Protection official said Friday.
Freda Tarbell, DEP community relations coordinator, said the
contracted cleanup company, Environmental Coordination Services and
Recycling Inc., plans to continue flushing the area with water to
remove as much residual crude oil as possible.
“There are small amounts of residual crude product that gets
trapped in vegetation and debris along the stream banks,” she said.
“The goal is to clean that all up.”
Crews will corral the waste by pushing it with water to an area
where they can collect it, Tarbell said. If necessary, workers will
use absorbent pads and booms to sop up what was on the surface and
contain the waste.
On March 11, approximately 1,400 gallons of crude oil spilled on
Schreiner Oil Co. property in the area of 158 Hedgehog Lane.
Bradford Township Volunteer firefighters and a number of other
emergency agency responded to the spill before ECS&R workers
took over. The spill was contained within a quarter-mile stretch,
with some containments near Willow Dale Cemetery.
The property the oil spilled on was operated by Aiello Brothers.
Oil and gas drilling in the Hedgehog Lane area has come under fire
in the past year after water wells were contaminated. As of last
week, some residents still had flammable water.
DEP regulations require the oil company to clean up the spill.
Tarbell said the oil company has been cooperative and cleanup
efforts seem to be moving along well.
“This incident was their responsibility,” Tarbell said. “And
they’re responding to it.”
So far, ECS&R workers have excavated and removed
contaminated soil from the tank’s drainage area and disposed of it
in the Greentree landfill in Elk County, Tarbell said.
Also, they’ve rebuilt drainage ditches around the tank, she
said, adding that crews have modified the ditches so can protect
the area in case of another spill.
On March 17, an ECS&R official said crews are working at a
moderate pace, waiting for rain to assist with the flushing.
