Cleanup of Eden Star’s Diesel Spill Most Likely Finished, Fast Response Lauded
Glen Mary Now Likely on Parks and Recreation Committee’s Agenda Tonight; West Street Extension Closure and Bloomfield Waterline Work Today
BAR HARBOR— Dave Madore, deputy commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, said that an estimated 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out of the grounded Eden Star, which came loose of its mooring during Hurricane Lee and ended up near the high-tide mark at the College of the Atlantic.
Madore said, “It is difficult to actually recover spilled diesel fuel in the open marine environment due to the physical properties of diesel fuel. Cleanup efforts have finished, barring the discovery of any new areas on the shore in the proximity of the affected region.”
The Eden Star has two 550 HP John Deer diesel engines and can have up to 128 passengers. Acadian Boat Tours has a fleet of five boats. Trips depart from the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel at 119 Eden Street.
“Unfortunately, due to the rocky shoreline and rough sea-state associated with passing of Hurricane Lee, the hull and diesel fuel tank of the M/V EDEN STAR were breached, and a discharge of diesel fuel occurred,” Madore said in an email Sunday.
However, the fast actions of the owners of the Eden Star and the emergency responders are lauded today.
"Obviously a fuel spill like this is not among anyone's desired outcomes, but we’re really grateful for the fast, highly professional response from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bar Harbor Fire Department, Maine Marine Patrol, US Coast Guard, Clean Harbors Environmental, and the owner of Eden Star, who alerted the authorities immediately upon discovering the fuel leak. We know that they did all they could to minimize the damage. We’re also grateful no one was hurt in the accident,” said Rob Levin, director of communications at the College of the Atlantic.
PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING AGENDA LIKELY WILL BE AMENDED
The Parks and Recreation meeting’s agenda for today will be amended according to an email from Highway Office Manager Suzanne Banis of the Bar Harbor Highway Division, and will likely include discussion on Glen Mary’s lease between the town and the Village Improvement Association.
WEST STREET EXTENSION CLOSED
The portion of West Street Extension starting at the Woodbury intersection and ending at the Cleftstone intersection will be closed to thru-traffic on Monday, September 18 to Wednesday September 20, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. A detour will be in place. For any questions or concerns, call the Water Division at 288-3555.
BLOOMFIELD WATERLINE WORK
According to an email announcement from the town, Monday morning, the town will be performing work on the waterline in the Bloomfield and West Street Extension area. This work will cause residents in the Bloomfield area to be without water, Monday September 18, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please be prepared to be without water for the duration of the scheduled work time. We will do our best to have water restored as soon as possible.
Please be aware that this shutdown may cause you to experience some discolored water once your water service resumes. Run your cold water tap until the water runs clear. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this project. Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions. The number for the Water Division is 288-3555.
The Bar Harbor Story reached out to the Bar Harbor Police and Fire Departments as well as Acadian Boat Tours. No representatives had responded by press time. If they do respond, we’ll update the story.
