GILMANTON, N.H. (AP) – Officials are looking for someone who left a tanker truck next to a pond in Gilmanton and emptied about 1,000 gallons of fuel oil or asphalt sealer into the water.
Investigators say it was no accident. They say someone abandoned the truck, which was not properly registered, and opened the discharge valves to allow the liquid to flow into Rocky Pond.
Firefighters contained the liquid Tuesday evening.
Police received a report at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday of a smell of oil in the area. They said there wasn’t a lot of time between when the truck was parked and the first report.
The owner of the truck is Gerald Hyslop. Police said he admitted parking the truck near the pond on his uncle’s property at about 6 p.m. His uncle, Ronnie Martin, told police that he suspected vandalism.
“The oil seems to have extended approximately a quarter to a half-mile from the point of release to Rocky Pond,” said Rick Berry of the Department of Environmental Services. “We have extensive sheen showing on the brook.”
Environmental officials said they are trying to determine how extensive an area was contaminated. Crews were also excavating soil around the area.
Fish and Game Department officials said that it is too early to tell how much damage was done to wildlife.
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