State Of Emergency Called In New Berlin After Oil Spill Reaches Pond

NEW BERLIN, WI — The Mayor of New Berlin on Tuesday declared a state of emergency after a "substantial amount" of oil leaked from an auto repair shop into the storm sewer system and a creek last week, a news release from the city said.

Employees at Moorland Auto Repair at 3890 Moorland Road were moving a 350-gallon oil container on Thursday when it became damaged and started leaking into the pavement, a declaration from Mayor David Ament said. The spilled oil eventually made its way into the creek near Mark Drive and into a stormwater collection pond, the release said. The city has been providing updates on the situation via Facebook.

The city contracted a cleanup company called Clean Harbors which began deploying materials Tuesday afternoon, a Facebook post from the city said. By Tuesday evening the company installed a containment apron and booms into the main pond and other nearby ponds in case the oil spreads further, the post said. The company was expected to be in the area early Wednesday to start vacuuming up oil and cleaning debris from shorelines, the city said.

The mayor's declaration said the property owner did not report the incident as required by law to local or state officials and no steps were immediately taken to control the oil spill. When reached over the phone a representative for the business told Patch its owner is not making any comments about the situation.

While the spill happened on Thursday, it wasn't until Sunday that a resident noticed a strong smell of petroleum near the stormwater pond. The New Berlin Fire Department and city staff soon confirmed a large oil spill in the area and reported it to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the mayor's declaration said.

The declaration noted that the clean-up will take a "considerable period of time" and will require public resources and enforcement proceedings against responsible parties. The declaration also noted the emergency declaration is required to expedite resources and protect people from the impact and spread of the spill.

A special common council meeting was scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. via Zoom to discuss the spill.