CAMDEN — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection spent the last week digging trenches around a home on Ames Terrace and removing contaminated dirt after a seal broke on an outdoor oil tank, spilling approximately 100 gallons of No. 2 heating fuel onto the ground.

The spill occurred earlier this winter, according to DEP spokesman Jessamine Logan, Jan. 31. It was subsequently covered with snow and ice.

An oil delivery man discovered the damage when he was notified by a social service agency to fill the tank. There was no oil in the tank, and the seal on the outdoor tank was busted.

“This did not threaten the nearby stream,” said Logan.

The DEP hired contractors to excavate the contaminated dirt and either transport it to the state’s safe landfill in Norridgewock, or an incinerator, she said.

“The number one oil spill response by the DEP in the state is for home-heating tanks that are outside,” she said.

The DEP’s Groundwater Oil Cleanup Fund will cover the cost of the Ames Terrace excavation and remediation.

Logan did not have a price tag, yet, associated with this incident.

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657.