Man Accused Of Spilling Diesel Fuel, Sewage Into Water In Norwalk: PD

NORWALK, CT — A boater accused of intentionally spilling diesel fuel and waste into the water near Manresa Island and the South Norwalk Boat Club was arrested late Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

In a news release, Police Sgt. Ryan Evarts said Norwalk Marine Unit and Norwalk Fire Marine Unit officers responded to the area of Manresa Island around 4 p.m. after receiving a report of a diesel fuel spill.

According to Evarts, Norwalk Marine Unit and Norwalk Fire Marine Unit officers could see and smell the fuel, which was creating a visible sheen on the surface of the water, as they traveled to the area.

The Norwalk Fire Department reported this sheen could also be seen in the area of the South Norwalk Boat Club, Evarts said.

Officers identified Stanley Sikorski, 79, of Norwalk, as the source of the spill. He was found cleaning his boat when officers approached him, Evarts said.

Sikorski told police he was filling up his boat with 152 gallons of diesel fuel but began filling up his onboard sanitation tank instead of the fuel tank. After he noticed the mistake, Sikorski switched and started to fill up the proper fuel tank, according to Evarts.

When Sikorski left the fuel dock, he intentionally pumped the fuel out of the Marine Sanitation Device tank, which included waste mixed with the diesel fuel, Evarts said.

The U.S. Coast Guard Pollution Response Team, National Response Center and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's emergency response and spill prevention division were all notified of the incident, according to Evarts.

Sikorski was charged with discharging sewage in a no discharge zone, misuse of a marine sanitation device and littering in the water. He is scheduled to appear in court later this month, according to Evarts.

"Norwalk police would like to remind boaters of the environmental ramifications when incidents like this occur," Evarts said in a news release. "Please be mindful of sea life and the harm of human exposure to these pollutants. We encourage all boaters to not only be responsible when operating the vessel, but also be responsible with keeping pollutants from entering our waterways."