Lakeview Firefighters Respond to Toxic Spill

The and Rockville Centre Fire Departments, Nassau County Fire Marshal and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation responded Tuesday night to a wooded area north of Peninsula Boulevard, where there was a report of a hazardous materials spill.

Rockville Centre firefighters initially received the call around 8 p.m. and contacted Lakeview to determine the proper jurisdiction. When the firefighters from both departments arrived at the spot, located off of Maine Avenue, they saw a 55-gallon drum was leaking an unknown substance.

The Nassau County Fire Marshal's office was called in and took samples, and preliminary reports indicated the substance was methonoyl, Lakeview Fire Chief Heather Senti told Patch.

"It was so potent that it deteriorated a portion of the roadway and instantly killed the vegetation that touched it," she said.

The Fire Marshal then notified the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which was also brought in to survey the scene.

Senti added, "Both Lakeview and Rockville Centre worked together to mitigate the situation and turned the investigation over to the Fire Marshal and the NYS DEC." 

Additional reporting by Tara Conry