ConEd Transformer Failure Spills Oil Into East River
A Con Edison transformer at the Farragut substation located on the Brooklyn waterfront at John Street failed on Sunday, May 7, leaking approximately 30,000 gallons of fuel on and around the property, with an unknown amount seeping into the East River, Philip O’Brien, a spokesperson for Con Edison told BKLYNER Wednesday morning.
This is the second oil spill on Brooklyn’s waterfront in recent months. In April, the Bayside Fuel Depot spilled 27,000 gallons of oil into Gravesend Bay. And according to experts, it’s not always the impact of one spill that makes a difference in the quality of New York’s waterways, but the accumulation from many smaller- and medium-scale spills that occur daily.
“Chronic, long-term exposure has real ecological and health impacts in waterways, soil, and air quality,” said Sean Anderson, Professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management at California State University Channel Islands.
The transformer in DUMBO contained 37,000 gallons of insulating fuel that is used to “prevent electric sparks and protect the cables within the transformer,” O’Brien said. “When the transformer failed, the fuel began to leak.” The cause of the transformer failure is still under investigation.
ConEd crews responded immediately and were able to gauge that approximately 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of oil remained inside the transformer.
ConEd spreads a product called Blue Stone, an absorbing gravel, around the property at all times as a preventative, O’Brien explains. The gravel has been absorbing a lot of the fuel, but it has not been able to prevent some of the oil from spilling into the river.
“We have to clean up all of that material that’s been absorbed. Some of it has spilled into the river. We’ve set up a containment area using booms and absorbents,” O’Brien says. “Yesterday we recovered 520 gallons from the water. We’re continuing to work around the clock. We’re containing it.”
Thousands of gallons of oil are also being recovered on the land surrounding the ConEd property. “You can see it soaked into the gravel and the soil, and we’re scooping all of that out as part of the recovery,” O’Brien adds.
ConEd crews are working with the U.S. Coast Guard, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and other agencies in cleaning up the spill, reports Gothamist.
“We continue to assess the volume of oil that migrated to the East River, and how much oil remains in the ground on our property,” a Con Edison statement released yesterday afternoon reads. “The Coast Guard has issued reduced speed restrictions for commercial vessels operating in the area, and banning recreational vessels, to assist the cleanup process.”
A spokesperson for Brooklyn Bridge Park told BKLYNER, “Con Ed notified us and we have been coordinating with them, closing water access and posting signage.”
The NYC Ferry experienced delays in the East River service yesterday due to the spill, Gothamist reports.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the area along the river still smelled of oil, according to Brownstoner, but didn’t keep visitors away from the bustling park.
The clean up will take at least another few days. ConEd also has to replace the transformer and is hoping to do so within the next couple of days. So far, O’Brien says, “there has been no impact on customers. We shifted the power over to other transformers and circuits.”
If anyone feels their property has suffered damaged as a result of this spill, they can file a claim on ConEd’s website.
Additional reporting by Carly Miller
