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Petroleum Contaminated Sites Closed
The number of newly reported oil discharges requiring long-term remediation varies year to year, while the number of long-term petroleum remediation sites completed and closed depend on the number of new sites, site complexity and the resources the Department can devote to this task.
Long-term oil remediation projects are those where drinking water, ground water, soil or indoor air are contaminated by oil discharges from above ground and underground oil storage facilities, and most notably home heating oil tank failures. Remediation requires extensive time and financial resources to complete. Above the baseline, the graph illustrates the number of new sites being reported annually to the Department and requiring long-term remediation, while the number of sites on the Department's priority list that are completed in a given year are represented below the baseline. One can see in any given year whether the net affect was that the Departments backlog of incomplete remediation cases grew or decreased. The Department has some control over the number of sites it completes by means of the resources it is able to devote, however, the Department has very limited control over the number of new releases and spills of oil in Maine.
Contact: Molly King (207) 287-7166