9 months ago
BELGRADE (NEWS CENTER) -- Approximately four out of every five Mainers heat their homes with some form of oil heat -- that is nine times the national average. So oil spills are a major problem for Maine's Department of Environmental Protection to deal with. But there are steps you can take to prevent the headaches and high costs associated with a spill. Peter Blanchard, from the Maine DEP, said, "W
Peter Blanchard is an oil and hazardous materials specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. His job is to respond to oil spills and clean them up -- unfortunately, it is something he does frequently.
"We are looking at almost 500 occurrences every year and that represents a significant amount of oil that has the potential to contaminate ground water in the state."
Blanchard wants homeowners to know that filter protectors are required on exterior fuel tanks -- but more importantly, they can save you money by preventing a major mess.
The most important thing to do if you do have a spill is to get in touch with the Department of Environmental Protection immediately.
It can cost anywhere from $10,000 to over $100,000 to clean-up a spill.While homeowners are not alone in paying the expense, the 50 to 100 dollars an oil tank cover costs is worth the investment.
The DEP would rather see people place protectors on their tanks, then clean-up when they don't.
The Department of Environmental Protection has a limited number of free fuel oil filter protectors to give to people who need them. You can call the DEP at 1-800-482-0777 or you can click on the related link on the right side of this page.
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