3K gallons of oil leaks in neighborhood

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) - More than 3,000 gallons of motor oil leaked from a storage tank into a drainage ditch in the Briarfield neighborhood Sunday and was still being cleaned up the next day.

Hampton hazmat crews contained the spill to area about a quarter mile, said Hampton Fire Department spokesman Capt . Anthony Chittum . However, residents faced the smell of oil for several hours while cleanup crews worked to remove the spill.

Hampton fire units first responded to the leak in the 2100 block of Mingee Drive at 12: 50 p.m. They notified the business owner who told them the tank had contained from 3,000 to 3,500 gallons of oil.

Hampton Fire Department’s Hazmat team responded to the scene along with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Department of Environmental Quality. Hampton units worked to control and contain the spread of the oil and eliminated any further environmental damage.

VDEM officials hired a contracting crew to clean up the spill. The crews were expected to be on scene for several hours and worked from the area of Lindsey Middle School to Mingee Drive.

The cause of the spill appears accidental but remains under investigation by the Hampton Fire Marshal’s office.