Oil Tank Spills Overnight at New Hampshire Meineke Car Care Center
When employees at the Meineke Car Care Center in Laconia, New Hampshire, came into work Tuesday morning and found a spilled oil tank, they and co-owner Greg Masewic took swift action to contain the spill, and are now sharing preventative measures businesses can implement to avoid such an incident.
The Laconia Daily Sun reports that last Tuesday, employees at the Meineke on Union Avenue discovered the leaking oil tank upon arriving at 7:30 a.m. They immediately called Masewic to tell him what was happening, who in turn called Clean Harbors, a local waste management service.
Initially, the staff believed the spill to be contained within the shop, but soon noticed the oil had made its way outside into a nearby stream, carrying it into Lake Winnipesaukee, the main source of drinking water for Laconia.
The city had the water intake pumps shut down, with state and local officials on site to ensure contaminated water wasn’t making its way in. Fortunately, the spill was largely contained, told New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services spokesperson Jim Martin, and that there is no further threat posed by the spill.
“It is not far from the city’s drinking water plant intake. But the spill was relatively small and contained, it didn’t really pose a risk to the water system,” Martin said.
The spill was caused by the oil tank corroding, which can happen over time. The oil then leaked into a catch basin, made its way through a storm drain, and was carried into the lake.
Water Superintendent Benjamin Crawford described the event as a learning experience for all businesses in the area.
Masewic, who’s worked in auto service for over 35 years, hasn’t experienced such an incident until now, but has outlined measures his shop will be implementing following the ordeal, including immediate replacement of the corroded tank, containment barrels for all their oil tanks, and going over existing leak procedures with his team.
“I’m born and raised in New Hampshire and I live on the lake myself. I love the outdoors and the water–I didn’t and couldn’t foresee this and we’re doing everything in our power to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” stated Masewic.
