1,000 gallons of insulating fluid leaks into Bronx River; cleanup underway: DEC
NEW YORK (PIX11) – Around 1,000 gallons of insulating fluid leaked from a Con Edison feeder line and spilled into the Bronx River last week, leading to ongoing efforts to clean up the mess, a non-profit environmental group said.
The mineral-based insulating fluid leaked from an underground feeder line into a storm drain that empties into the Bronx River at Nereid Avenue in Yonkers on April 1, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
The DEC oversaw work by Con Edison contractors to deploy seven booms into the river, including in areas north of the botanical gardens and by the Bronx Zoo.
The booms will absorb the fluid and help keep it from traveling farther south, according to the Bronx River Alliance, a non-profit environmental organization.
The Bronx River Alliance's Alyssa Perez said the nonprofit will seek to "understand how this happened, monitor the ongoing cleanup, and understand any impacts on our communities and the ecology of the corridor.”
PIX11 News reached out to Con Edison for additional information about the spill.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.