County Haz-Mat Team Responds to Cranford Oil Spill

As Cranford homeowners were busy drying out their basements and sifting through soggy belongings around 11:30 a.m. Monday, a minor fuel oil spill on Herning Avenue brought more attention to the already flooded neighborhood.

As the faint smell of fuel rose from the ground, a rainbow was evident in the small stream of oily water that slid down the driveway and out onto a portion of Herning Avenue.

Patrick Wirkus of the Union County Haz-Mat Team said the slight leak of fuel oil that spilled from the Herning home was a result of Irene's flooding. The Haz-Mat team responded, positioning sandbags and absorbant towels to stop the spill from leaking into any stormwater drains. No evacuations were required and Wirkus said the spill did not pose any danger to residents.

Wirkus said a contractor would come to clean up the mess. At noon, the Haz-Mat team was waiting for the contractor to arrive.