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Project Profile: Monticello Oil Spill

In 2001, when residents of Monticello, Maine detected petroleum odors in their drinking water wells, the Maine DEP took charge of the situation to protect the residents and fix the damage to the environment in this small northern Maine town.  Officials of the Maine DEP called on the senior managers at St.Germain Collins to find a solution.

Spill Investigation & Remediation

Working in cooperation with the Maine DEP, St.Germain Collins’ experienced environmental engineers and scientists identified the source of the spill as kerosene from a leaking residential tank and designed a system to recover free product and treat groundwater at the location of the kerosene spill.

Current Status and Summary Actions

Over 600-gallons of free phase petroleum product have been removed from the groundwater. St.Germain Collins continually monitored the performance of the treatment system and potential migration of the petroleum plume.  In addition, St.Germain Collins:

  • Provided initial response and conducted site reconnaissance to evaluate surface water and groundwater flow patterns
  • Reviewed historical and current uses of properties to determine the potential for a hazardous material release
  • Interviewed residents and town officials and evaluated and investigated Maine DEP spill report files
  • Identified locations of 40 residential drinking water wells potentially at risk
  • Inspected over 40 residential aboveground storage tanks
  • Identified the locations of all registered underground storage tanks
  • Oversaw the completion of nine active recovery wells, 35 monitoring wells, 20 geoprobes, and 10 test pits
  • Conducted regular sampling events of residential, monitoring and recovery wells

Project Successes

  • Groundwater pump and treat system pumping from nine recovery wells
  • 40 residential drinking water wells protected from kerosene spill
  • 600+ gallons of kerosene recovered from ground