By: Dominic Bertolami/Minds A transformer malfunction caused thousands of gallons of oil to spill out into the East River in Brooklyn, NY Sunday. New York power company Con Edison has crews who are working with government agencies to clean up the mess.
Officials say a transformer insulating oil was released from one of the substations. The failed transformer contained 37,000 gallons of oil. The oil was released into the station property and the East River. It seeped into the ground as it moved to the riverbank. A Con Ed spokesperson said more than half of the oil is still inside of the transformer.
The spill impacted the MTA’s subway service causing major delays on several subway lines throughout the five boroughs. As part of the cleanup process, Con Ed placed absorbents and skimmers in the river. They are working with the U.S. Coast Guard, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and other agencies to remove as much oil from the water as possible.
“We will continue to assess the volume of oil that migrated to the East River, and how much oil remains in the ground on our property,” Con Ed said Monday morning.
As crews assess how much oil is in the river, speed restrictions have been in effect for all boats. Con Ed officials say they have recovered approximately 500 gallons of oil in the cleanup process.
The spill has also created issues for NYC Ferry, which travels near the East River. A statement on the NYC Ferry website read:
“The East River route will be subject to delays for the remainder of the day due to an oil spill on the East River.”
Ferry riders are urged to check with the NYC Ferry website for further information about delays. It isn’t known when any restrictions could be lifted.
For more information on oil spill damage, check out the video below:
