LIVERMORE FALLS — About 30 to 50 gallons of what investigators believe is oil was illegally dumped in a parking lot off Depot Street, triggering an emergency cleanup response Tuesday morning, fire Chief Gerry Pineau said.

Emergency crews, including members of an area hazardous material team, arrived after there was a report of a black substance coming from a Dumpster in a lot between the offices of Group Adams Propane Services and Livermore Falls Water District, he said.

“What we’re assuming was the trash Dumpster was dumped (Tuesday) morning,” Pineau said, and the oil leaked out onto the ground and storm drains in the parking lot and street.

The rain spread the oil quickly, he said.

Livermore Falls police Sgt. Steve Allen is investigating to try to determine who dumped the oil, Pineau said.

The town highway crew and firefighters from Livermore Falls, Jay and Farmington, including HazMat Team Chief Terry Bell and Franklin County Emergency Management Director Tim Hardy and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, were working on the cleanup.

The parking lot was cordoned off and dikes were made to pool up oil in the water and absorbent pads were used to soak up the oil, Pineau said.

Booms were also placed in the Androscoggin River to contain the oil spill at the storm drain, Pineau said.

The DEP was still working to clean up the riverbank late Tuesday afternoon, he said.

The Dumpster is owned by the Chuck Wagon Restaurant but the substance did not come from the restaurant, Pineau said. It was illegally put in the Dumpster, he said.

A DEP representative on the scene was unavailable for comment late Tuesday afternoon.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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