Local highway crews spent several hours last Friday cleaning up oil spilled by someone who was transporting an old oil tank.
Local officials confirmed the source of the spill began in Granville, although law enforcement personnel have yet to release the name of the person or persons responsible for the spill.
Patches of oil seeped from the tank and were deposited on village, town, county and state highways between Granville and Fort Ann.
It’s believed the tank, the kind used to store home heating oil, was taken from a home in Middle Granville to be sold as scrap metal at a business in Hudson Falls.
Highway crews from the Village of Granville, Town of Granville, Town of Hartford and the state Department of Transportation spread sand over areas that were affected.
Granville Supervisor Matt Hicks said crews laid sand down on Lee and Aldous Roads while Rick Roberts, village clerk, confirmed village crews had to clean up areas of Pacific Street and Mettawee Street. He said the corner of Mettawee and Columbus Streets was particularly affected.
Hicks said the town devoted several hours of labor to the effort and most of the oil has been cleaned up.
“At this point, it seems to be dissipating on its own,” Hicks said.
The person believed to be responsible for the spill has been identified, officials confirmed, but the Department of Environmental Conservation has yet to release the name or names and did not return phone calls seeking comment on the matter.