TOWN OF LOCKE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — There is a cantaloupe catastrophe in Cayuga County.
The intersection of Routes 90 and 38 in the Town of Locke is closed as crews work to clear a mess.
According to Locke Fire Chief, Ray Dyer, a tractor-trailer carrying cantaloupe, tipped over around 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 17.
Dyer said the driver only had minor injuries and didn’t require a trip to the the hospital.
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The truck took out two utility poles, causing hundreds of NYSEG customers to lose power. The power has been restored, according to the chief.
Dyer said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is on-scene cleaning up fuel that spilled from the big rig.
DEC spill response staff estimated that up to 40 gallons of diesel and motor oil were spilled from the truck. The truck also hit a power pole, knocked down a transformer, and spilled up to 25 gallons of transformer oil in the local post office’s parking lot. The spilled transformer fluid was non-PCB oil.
DEC contractors were called in to contain and clean up the diesel and motor oil. New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) retained a separate contractor to clean up the transformer oil spill. Contractors used catch basins and oil absorbent booms. As a result, no oil was released to the Owasco Inlet.
DEC staff will assess any potential soil contamination once the tractor trailer is moved. If contamination is found, DEC’s contractors will excavate the affected soil and dispose it at a permitted landfill. DEC will monitor the cleanup to ensure it is protective of public health and the environment.
Jeff Wernick, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
