Roughly 75 gallons of heating oil spilled into the Kenduskeag Stream in downtown Bangor on Monday morning, according to a Maine Department of Environmental Protection employee.
Oil slicks were visible on the stream and the smell of the spilled oil was noticeable Monday as crews worked to clean the spill.
An oil company was delivering fuel to a building between Franklin and Central streets around 5 a.m., Monday, said Bob Shannon, Maine DEP oil and hazardous materials responder.
The driver hit a concrete abutment and damaged the oil release, causing the oil to spill into the Kenduskeag Stream along the Norumbega Parkway, Shannon said.
A boom was deployed in the stream near the Washington Street bridge to prevent the oil from flowing into the Penobscot River. A Bangor Daily News reporter observed oil on the opposite side of the boom, along the Penobscot River.
The tide was going out on the Kenduskeag during clean up efforts Monday.
Clean Harbors, a company that responds to environmental emergencies, is working to clean up the oil, Shannon said. The oil company is cooperating with the DEP, he said.
Any employees who work in businesses near the Kenduskeag in downtown Bangor who notice fumes or vapor issues indoors should call the DEP, Shannon said.
BDN writer Kasey Turman contributed to this report.
