Recently, Babylon Bay Constables called for assistance from DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement for a sunken barge and tugboat in the LaSala Boatyard in Copiague.
Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Dickson and Paschke arrived on scene to assess the situation and found the partially submerged barge and tugboat leaking diesel fuel into the water. The ECOs, town of Babylon Bay Constables, Babylon Department of Environmental Control, and Babylon Fire Marshals deployed a boom around the area to contain the spill and prevent more product from leaking into the creek.
During the investigation, ECOs learned the owner of the vessel purchased the barge just three days prior to start his own bulkhead business. U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and DEC Spill Responders were contacted and the USCG advised the owner to immediately begin cleanup and remediation.
The scene was turned over to the DEC Spills Unit, while USCG, ECOs, and Bay Constables continued to monitor the area for evidence of contamination. The owner removed the remaining fuel from the barge and tug, but not before approximately 100 gallons of diesel was lost to the environment.