Leaky delivery truck coated 3-miles of Newark streets with cooking oil

Newark cooking oil spill

Newark police say this truck on Oct. 15, 2019 drove through Newark while unknowingly spilling cooking oil.

Newark firefighters and police respond to fuel and oil leaks regularly, but this one was a bit different.

A delivery truck left a sheen of oil three miles long on Stockton, Delancey, Adams and Thomas streets in the city’s Ironbound neighborhood last Tuesday, Oct. 15.

It was cooking oil. About 150 gallons of it.

Police identified the truck that left the oil slick, and the owner voluntarily went to police this past Friday.

After speaking with him, police determined the entire mess was an accident. The sight glass on the rear of the 600-gallon tank, which enables truck operators to see the fluid inside, was damaged, allowing the oil to seep out.

The Newark Fire Division’s Haz-Mat Unit applied a thick coat of sand to the streets to make the passable, police said.

“We are grateful that the vehicle’s owner took responsibility for his actions,” Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said. “I commend the members of the Newark Fire Division’s Haz-Mat Unit for their quick response and for seeking the assistance of our Essex County partners to ensure that the affected roadways were safe for drivers.”

The owner is not totally off the hook. The fire division is seeking reimbursement from the truck owner’s insurance company for the cleanup and labor hours, the public safety department said. The department did not identify the truck’s owner.

Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico.

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