DEP cites local violation

OXFORD — The Department of Environmental Protection has released its monthly enforcement report, citing oil violations with potential environmental impact – including one in Oxford.  

At the Oxford County Fairgrounds, September 22, 2011, some equipment belonging to Smokey's Greater Shows, Inc., had failed and caused a discharge of hydraulic oil into the soil. 

According to Peter Carney, Enforcement and Procedures of DEP, Oxford fair staff discovered the discharges and reported it to DEP the following day, September 23.

Department staff determined that Smokey's was responsible for equipment located throughout the site where oil discharges were discovered. DEP visited the site again on September 27. 

According to the DEP report, Smokey's had violated the provisions of Maine's Oil Discharge Prevention and Pollution Control law by causing discharges of oil to soil, ground water and surface water resources and for failing to immediately remove the contaminated soil. 

Following DEP involvement, Smokey’s staff removed and disposed of oil-contaminated soil from the Oxford site, said Carney. 

If oil had not been removed, Carney said that it could have severely contaminated the ground water. Carney said that this is the first time the DEP has been made aware of any oil spills at the Oxford fairgrounds. 

Equipment and vehicles owned and operated by Smokey's also discharged oil at sites in Yarmouth and Brunswick. 

At the Brunswick location, DEP reported that a truck belonging to Smokey's had been repaired, and either during or after, leaked approximately 20 gallons of diesel fuel onto the parking lot's surface. 

Brunswick Fire Department cleaned up the mess. 

According to DEP, to resolve the violations, Smokey's agreed to immediately clean up any oil spills in the future and pay $375 to reimburse the DEP's oil spill clean-up costs.