By ANGELA MARSHALL
The Legion switched from oil to gas heat over the summer and canceled their oil-delivery service, according to Commander Mickey Clark. However, sometime in the late afternoon or early evening Jan. 8, more than 400 gallons were pumped into the Legion's 500-gallon tank.
When the tank was abandoned last year, Legion members measured approximately 100 gallons remaining in it.
Police canvassed the area trying to find out if the delivery was meant for a neighboring building but had found no answers in time for this article.
Fire Chief John Mirando, in command of the scene, emphasized that the oil had to have come from a delivery. "The thing is now to prove who did it," he said.
Legion members called their former deliverer, J. Koehler Oil Corp. of Oceanside, and were told that the company had not made an accidental delivery to the hall.
Clark noticed the smell when he arrived for a meeting at 7:30 and immediately called police. "I didn't know if it was gas or oil," he said.
Firemen and Village of Rockville Centre employees worked quickly to dike all drains and electrical conduits in the area so the oil could not seep underground. They also closed Maple Avenue for several blocks between 8 and 10 p.m. to prevent accidents resulting from hazardous road conditions created by the spill.
"It's good to know that there are people in this community who jump when you need them," Clark said. "They really averted a major, major problem."
A Nassau County Hazmat unit was deployed to the scene and an environmental cleanup company from Freeport was hired to empty the tank and remove the oil and contaminated snow from the area.
The street was sanded before reopened and the cleanup was expected to be completed the next day.
Before Monday night was over, the Legion, a not-for-profit organization, had already spent $4,000 dollars and members were unsure their insurance would cover the cost.
Legion members left the tank in the ground last summer while they worked to find funds to pay for the blacktopping of their driveway. They wanted to be able to remove the tank and do the blacktop at the same time.
If funds did not become available, they were considering having the tank filled with sand and abandoned.
Now, they feel it is even more important than before to come up with a plan for the tank. They have been unable to find a grant that would pay for the blacktopping and do not have the funds available to pay for it themselves.
