A fuel truck carrying between 2,300 and 2,700 gallons of home heating oil overturned on a steep bend of Macdaniel Road in the hamlet of Shady on May 8, prompting an hourslong, multi-agency response to contain the spill and protect the nearby Sawkill Creek.
Emergency responders from the Woodstock Fire Department arrived at 8:50 a.m. and worked quickly to stop the flow of oil.
“First thing we did was we started to stop the oil from running to the stream by damming it up with dirt and anything we could find,” said Kevin Peters, assistant chief of the Woodstock Fire Department. “We took a road sign and held on to the latch, and it stopped the leak pretty much. Then we used a ratchet strap. We stopped 95 percent of the leak, maybe 98 percent.”
The driver, who sustained minor injuries and has not been publicly identified, managed to crawl out of the wreck through the windshield. “It’s a miracle,” Peters said.
According to Ulster County Director of Emergency Services Everett Erichsen, an estimated 500 gallons or less leaked from the truck. More than 250 feet of absorbent boom was deployed near the creek, with additional booms placed downstream as a precaution. A boom is a floating barrier used to contain and control the spread of oil on the surface of water during a spill.
A spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which is overseeing the cleanup, said a “very small percentage” of the truck’s full load escaped containment. According to the DEC, no fuel has been observed entering the Sawkill Creek, a tributary of the Esopus Creek that ultimately flows into the Hudson River.
In a press release, Erichsen said agencies on the scene included the Woodstock Fire District, the City of Kingston Fire Department’s hazmat team, the Ulster County Department of Emergency Services, the DEC Spill Response Unit, the Woodstock Police Department, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and DEC Police. The spill did not require evacuations, but Macdaniel Road was closed for approximately seven hours.
Still, environmental advocates voiced concern about potential long-term impacts. Mary McNamara, a board member of the Esopus Creek Conservancy and Riverkeeper, said the Sawkill feeds into an aquifer system connected to the local water supply.
“That could impact the drinking water,” she said. “It’s upstream of the aquifer that’s indirectly fed by the Sawkill. That’s just one more small but potentially serious environmental side effect.”
After visiting the site, she added, “Very little made it into the creek.”
Out of precaution, the Town of Woodstock shut down the nearest town well, which sits closest to the creek. “Those wells are approximately 20 to 25 feet deep,” said Town Supervisor Bill McKenna. “Gasoline does stay on the surface… but again, we’re not taking any chances.”
McKenna said no private wells were known to be affected, though shallow wells near the creek could be at risk. County and state health departments are coordinating with DEC on a broader water testing and monitoring plan.
Richard Halprin, president of Luzon Environmental Services—the hazardous cleanup firm contracted by the oil company—said his team recovered nearly all of the truck’s fuel, estimating that only about 40 gallons leaked.
“It was not as bad as it could have been because there was very little fuel leaking out of the truck,” Halprin said. “We’ll be taking away the contaminated soil, and we’ll keep pads [booms] in the water to absorb what may come out.”
He noted that most of the leaked fuel likely came from the truck’s diesel tank, not the main cargo tank. Luzon’s crew began removing contaminated soil and replacing saturated absorbent boom pads. While initial cleanup should take only a few days, Halprin said the site will be monitored for several weeks.
“There’s going to be oil-saturated material that you cannot reasonably get out,” Halprin added.
Peters, who remained on site with fellow responders for more than seven hours, called the crash unlike anything his department had seen. “We’ve had a few accidents there, but nothing like this. This was totally different.”
Officials say cleanup and monitoring will continue in the coming weeks, with local and state agencies coordinating to ensure no long-term damage is left behind. In the meantime, environmental groups and the DEC say they’ll remain vigilant, tracking the site along the banks of the Sawkill.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.
