Scrap metal theft leads to oil spill in Peabody

PEABODY – A recent oil spill at 70 Endicott St. in Peabody has Mayor Michael Bonfanti urging residents to be more diligent.”The biggest problem is the cost of scrap metal,” he said, referring to thefts that led to the spill. “It’s a problem that’s popping up (everywhere) and we need to take it into concern.”The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection received a call reporting the oil spill on Sept. 16.”Some vandals apparently got into the building the night before,” said DEP spokesperson Joe Ferson. “They tried to strip the copper from the attachments to the various tanks and caused quite a bit of damage.”Community Development Director Jean Delios said Peabody Police are involved.The vacant site of the former school administration building has in the past been home to criminal activity, which is why the city has been eager to see new development in its place.”We’ve spent thousands of dollars dealing with broken windows,” said Delios. “And the Police have been excellent about patrolling the area. In this case, the (vandals) snuck in under the radar stream.”Since the break-in, contractors have boarded up the building.The five, 330-gallon tanks located in the basement were supposed to have been emptied by the School Department, said Delios.”We’ve asked them to go back in their records to help us piece this together,” she said. “We don’t know how much oil was in there when we noticed the spill.”The city will have to cover the costs of the cleanup, most of which has been completed, said Delios. As insurance policy was taken out on the building, so much of the bill will be taken care of. How much the city will eventually have to pay is not yet known.”We feel very confident that everything is safe,” said Delios.Ferson also confirmed that there was no impact to surface waters.Bonfanti said he has spoken with Police Chief Robert Champagne about increasing awareness regarding scrap metal returns. “Be diligent,” he said. “If you see a construction site or a vacant building and notice some activity, pick up the phone.”