Officials probing spill of 900 gallons of oil in Oceanside

PSEG and the state Department of Environmental Conservation are investigating an oil spill of about 900 gallons in Oceanside.

A PSEG employee noticed the spill Sunday night, said DEC spokeswoman Aphrodite Montalvo. An electrical cable was leaking cable oil -- an oil used to protect and cool electrical cables -- into a creek from an Atlantic Avenue bridge, Montalvo said.

The line was de-energized to reduce the rate of the spill, and it was later clamped, she said.

The spill affected soil and surface waters through a storm drain, Montalvo said.

Some of the oil was recovered, but a thin sheen of oil is expected to remain but will eventually dissipate, she said.

Cleanup is ongoing, Montalvo said. Montalvo said “there should not be any health impacts” from the spill.

The cause of the leak is under investigation, she said. DEC is working with the U.S. Coast Guard, Nassau County, Hempstead Town, PSEG and others on the incident, she said.