An oil spill that occurred on the Hudson River Sunday was contained after spreading about 100 yards—roughly the length of a football field—along the riverbank according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Police.
State Police reported the spill just before 5 pm Sunday at a boat launch in Germantown, Columbia County. According to the official Twitter statement of the DEC, the oil spill was an isolated incident. Although the cause has not been officially confirmed, a press release stated “a boater observed a 50-foot flexible ‘transfer’ pipe floating in the Hudson River with some type of unknown oil in close proximity.” Dutchess County officials said residents of the county should be unaffected. There were no tweets regarding the oil spill on the official Westchester County government Twitter account.
Oil spill in Hudson River is an isolated incident in Columbia County. Investigation reveals no concern for Dutchess County residents.
— Dutchess County OEM (@DutchessOEM) August 18, 2014
Officials say there is no timetable for completing the clean up effort, which involves several agencies including New York’s Office of Emergency Management, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and local Columbia County emergency management and hazardous material response teams.
