At 4:45 pm on Saturday, June 3, the Hicksville Fire Department received a call for a gasoline spill at the Citgo gas station located on the corner of Newbridge Road and Barter Lane.

According to 2nd Assistant Chief Edward Korona, a Hicksville firefighter, while responding to an EMS call observed the operators of the Citgo gas station using brooms to move gasoline from a spill at that location into the street and immediately notified the dispatcher of the possible hazard.

"Upon arrival, I observed that approximately 10 to 15 gallons of gasoline had spilled into the roadway at the corner of Barter Lane and Newbridge Road," said Korona. "In addition, two sewer drains were contaminated."

Three Hicksville Fire Department vehicles with approximately 24 members assisted with the operation as did Hicksville's Haz-Mat team. Fire department members dyked the storm drains to prevent any further product from entering using Speedy Dry, a kitty liter like substance that absorbs gasoline.

According to Korona, the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office and the Department of Environmental Conservation, which mitigated the cleanup, were both called to the scene.

As of press time, the cause of the spill had not yet been determined. Citgo's operators were cited with appearance tickets.

- V.A.C.