Putnam Creek: Camp Smith Oil Spill

On February 21, 2004, a reported 2500 gallons of number 2 fuel oil spilled into Putnam Creek after an oil tank gauge broke at Camp Smith military base, spilling the product into a floor drain. The drain carried the fuel oil to the base’s water treatment plant, where it overwhelmed the system and entered the Creek. Camp Smith is a military based used for training by the New York National Guard.

After the spill, Riverkeeper received anonymous calls indicating that infrequent maintenance of the base’s infrastructure made a repeat spill more probable. Riverkeeper responded by writing a letter of inquiry to both Camp Smith and the DEC (available in the sidebar to the right), and speaking to both by phone. According to both Camp Smith and the DEC, clean up and recovery of the spill is complete. The water treatment plant was shut down following the spill and thoroughly clean; it reopened during the weekend of March 13. Camp Smith is installing an alarm system on its drains and increasing vigilance to prevent future spills.