j.m@talk
02-04-2006, 07:32 PM
A Benit Oil fuel truck driver misread the address of a refill stop in Bethpage, hooked up the truck's hose to the empty house and unloaded 50 gallons of oil, officials said.
The problem?
Unlucky recipients Juliann and Edward Tesoriero had switched to gas heat three decades ago. Although an oil pipe protruded from the house, inside it was connected to nothing.
Within seconds their entire basement floor was awash in 2 inches of dark red oil. :D The oil permeated the walls, raced down a sewer drain and splashed over detergent bottles, old exercise equipment, clothing and furniture.
"Oh, what a headache! This has been a nightmare," Edward Tesoriero, 57, said, explaining that he and his wife were grocery shopping when the oil was erroneously delivered. The correct address was several houses away on Parkview Circle.
County police and local firefighters, and a cleanup crew from Benit Oil of Smithtown, arrived within minutes and began spreading absorbent towels across the 20-foot by 30-foot concrete space and airing out the house.
Dennis Barlow, general manager of Benit Oil, called the spill an honest mistake. "Accidents happen," Barlow said, adding that the company's insurance intends to pay for damages. Barlow said the driver, whom he refused to identify, has been indefinitely suspended.
Bill Fonda, a spokesman for New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said fuel refill mishaps happen periodically, usually when homeowners leave oil pipes extending from their home that are no longer in use.
While the health risks associated with such spillage are generally considered low, Cynthia Brown, spokeswoman for the Nassau County Department of Health, said cleanups must to be done carefully because the fuel contains carcinogens. Prolonged exposure, Brown added, should be avoided.
For the Tesorieros, the cleanup could take weeks, Barlow said.
Yesterday, a five-man crew hired by Benit dumped soiled items into steel drums, ripped out carpeting and walls, and ran a motorized air cleaner in the basement. By midday, the basement was dry.
But how much oil managed to seep into the ground was still unknown, said Doug Schrimpf, a supervisor for Tradewinds Environmental Restoration of Bay Shore, which has been cleaning the Tesorieros' basement. And the cleanup job could cost $30,000, Schrimpf said.
The worst part, Juliann Tesoriero, 52, said, was that the house smelled so badly, she and her husband have to stay at a hotel indefinitely.
"One step inside there and you feel light-headed and get dizzy," she said.
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The problem?
Unlucky recipients Juliann and Edward Tesoriero had switched to gas heat three decades ago. Although an oil pipe protruded from the house, inside it was connected to nothing.
Within seconds their entire basement floor was awash in 2 inches of dark red oil. :D The oil permeated the walls, raced down a sewer drain and splashed over detergent bottles, old exercise equipment, clothing and furniture.
"Oh, what a headache! This has been a nightmare," Edward Tesoriero, 57, said, explaining that he and his wife were grocery shopping when the oil was erroneously delivered. The correct address was several houses away on Parkview Circle.
County police and local firefighters, and a cleanup crew from Benit Oil of Smithtown, arrived within minutes and began spreading absorbent towels across the 20-foot by 30-foot concrete space and airing out the house.
Dennis Barlow, general manager of Benit Oil, called the spill an honest mistake. "Accidents happen," Barlow said, adding that the company's insurance intends to pay for damages. Barlow said the driver, whom he refused to identify, has been indefinitely suspended.
Bill Fonda, a spokesman for New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said fuel refill mishaps happen periodically, usually when homeowners leave oil pipes extending from their home that are no longer in use.
While the health risks associated with such spillage are generally considered low, Cynthia Brown, spokeswoman for the Nassau County Department of Health, said cleanups must to be done carefully because the fuel contains carcinogens. Prolonged exposure, Brown added, should be avoided.
For the Tesorieros, the cleanup could take weeks, Barlow said.
Yesterday, a five-man crew hired by Benit dumped soiled items into steel drums, ripped out carpeting and walls, and ran a motorized air cleaner in the basement. By midday, the basement was dry.
But how much oil managed to seep into the ground was still unknown, said Doug Schrimpf, a supervisor for Tradewinds Environmental Restoration of Bay Shore, which has been cleaning the Tesorieros' basement. And the cleanup job could cost $30,000, Schrimpf said.
The worst part, Juliann Tesoriero, 52, said, was that the house smelled so badly, she and her husband have to stay at a hotel indefinitely.
"One step inside there and you feel light-headed and get dizzy," she said.
http://www.newsday.com/images/banner/header2005.gif