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Consultant outlines cleanup plan for 901 Route 12 oil release; site walk set for July 1
Summary
A consultant told Groton’s Inland Wetlands Agency that a 2024 heating‑oil release at 901 Route 12 likely requires a small excavation (about 15x15 ft, 30 in–3 ft deep) to remove remaining contaminated soil; the agency classified the application as ‘minor’ and scheduled a site walk for July 1.
David Turner, a principal at Turner Environmental, told the Inland Wetlands Agency the project at 901 Route 12 responds to a 2024 heating‑oil release from an above‑ground tank behind a building pad near Crystal Lake Road.
Turner said emergency responders contracted through the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection used a vac truck, absorbent pads and booms in the adjacent drainage channel and removed visible oil. “We will use a permitted oil spill cleanup contractor to do the work,” Turner said, summarizing plans for excavation, off‑site disposal and erosion controls.
Turner told the commission that two soil samples taken after the initial response exceeded Connecticut cleanup standards and that the planned remediation would re‑excavate the area to remove remaining contamination, characterize material, and backfill and stabilize the site. He estimated the excavation footprint at roughly 15 by 15 feet to a depth of about 30 inches to 3 feet, producing “about a truckload, a dump truckload of soil, about 15 to 20 tons.”
Members asked whether oil had migrated into the wetland or stream. Turner said response crews removed visible oil and installed booms and absorbent material in the channel, but he did not have test results for the wetland soil or sediment beyond the immediate excavation samples.
The commission voted to classify the application as minor so staff can process it administratively rather than schedule a public hearing. Members requested a site walk to view the tank pad, guardrail and slope to the wetland; participants agreed on Wednesday, July 1 (final timing to be confirmed) and asked staff to circulate a map and packet materials before the visit. Turner said he would provide a PDF map in advance.
Next steps: Turner will submit supporting plans and sample data to staff for the file and to the Connecticut agency to close the spill case after remediation is complete. The commission will review materials and the site conditions at the July 1 visit and expect further documentation at the next meeting.
