By Jonann Brady
The Department of Environment says the coolant, called dielectric fluid, is non-toxic and poses no health hazards, but the clean-up could take weeks.
A resident reported a spill at Parsonage Creek on Thursday evening, Feb. 7 and then an oily fluid began pooling on Atlantic Avenue, said DEC spokesman Michael Lowery. The DEC and LIPA determined that small hole in an underground power transmission cable running along Atlantic Avenue was the culprit. Because the fluid is under pressure, about 1200 to 1400 gallons of the coolant had leaked into the ground and the creek before it was discovered, said Lowery on Monday.
A Bay Shore-based environmental firm, Trade Winds Contractors, has been hired to clean up the spill. As of Monday, the workers had excavated about 70 cubic yards of contaminated soil around the leak and had set up several oil booms and a vacuum truck to soak up the fluid on the water. LIPA had also put a temporary clamp on the cable until a permanent clamp could be installed.
Bob LaPointe, an Oceanside resident who docks his boat in the waterway, visits the dock daily, and said he noticed his boat covered in what looked like grease. He initially thought he had sprung a fuel leak, but soon realized the spill was too large to have come from a single boat.
"It's not going to be good for the fish," said LaPointe. "It's a shame."
The spill looks more sinister than it is, according to both the DEC and LIPA. Dielectric fluid could best be compared to mineral oil, said LIPA spokesperson Michael Lowndes.
"There is no hazard involved," said Lowndes. "If there was even a remote possibility, then we would issue all types of cautions."
According to safety data from the National Fire Protection Agency, the health rating for dielectric fluid is zero, meaning it poses the least concern for health risks, said Lowndes.
The DEC added that though the fluid is a mild eye irritant, it has no warnings about exposure to the skin or ingestion.
Though the DEC and LIPA say residents should not be concerned about health hazards, the clean-up itself could produce some headaches for nearby neighbors.
"The clean up could be weeks. We don't yet know the extent of the excavation," said Lowery.
By Tuesday, the DEC and LIPA will have met to assess further clean-up efforts, and Lowery said that additional soil excavation will most likely have to be done. Depending on the extent of the spill, Atlantic Avenue may have to be closed temporarily, said Lowery.
The DEC is supervising the clean-up and LIPA is paying for it.
