WELLFLEET -Wellfleet firefighters responded to Mid-Cape Home Centers on Commercial Street about 8 PM for a large fuel oil spill. Crews used booms to contain the spill from a tank at the location. The Mass Department of Environmental Protection was notified. Wellfleet DPW crews responded with sand to help mitigate the spill. The Wellfleet Harbormaster was requested as crews worked to keep the fuel from getting into the harbor.
A similar incident happened at the same location on January 25th.
Update: In a statement, Wellfleet Fire Chief Rich Pauley tells CWN that at approximately 8:06 PM Sunday, they were dispatched to the Mid-Cape Home Center at 30 Commercial Street in Wellfleet fore a reported fuel oil tank leak into the parking lot and street.
First arriving fire personnel found a mixture of water and heating fuel oil leaking from an above ground tank onto the parking lot, street, and storm water drainage system. A combination of Speedy Dry, absorbent pads and booms were deployed to capture the fuel oil. The Massachusetts Department of of Environmental Protection, Wellfleet Police Department, Department of Public Works and Harbormaster’s Department were also requested to the location, as well as a private environmental clean up company and Weston & Sampson environmental company responded to this situation.
Chief Pauley, along with DPW Director Jay Norton and Harbormaster Will Sullivan coordinated with multiple entities to begin a clean up of this spill. A 8,500 gallon above ground tank which had been placed on the property about three weeks ago overflowed product onto the parking lot, street and storm drain system. At this time it is believed that the significant rainfall in the last few days and failure of the pump in the tank caused this release.
The Town’s storm drain system worked well to contain the fuel/water mixture under Commercial Street. Several storm drains were examined and pumped out successfully on site at approximately midnight, before the tide, to ensure that the fuel/water did not migrate into the marsh and harbor. At this time it is estimated that no more than fifteen gallons of fuel were released into the storm drain system. In consultation with environmental experts, the DPW director, and others, the fire department believes that no fuel oil/water mix escaped the towns storm water drain system, into the marsh or harbor.
Fire and environmental response crews remained on scene for approximately five hours to work to remediate and clean up the scene. The environmental response/clean up team, Wellfleet Fire Department, Wellfleet Health Department and the Conservation Department will continue to monitor the situation daily.
Officials stressed that there was no damage to the marsh area or harbor as a result of this situation.
