NYS Spill Incidents

Overview

This dataset includes about 500,000 chemical and petroleum spill incidents that are recorded in the Environmental Remediation Databases of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Petroleum and hazardous chemical spills that can impact the waters of the state must be reported by the spiller. Each recored is registered with spill number, facility program name, spill location, spill date, received date, contributing factor, waterbody, source, spilled material and quantity, etc.

Dataset Information

Dataset Details

Under State law, petroleum and hazardous chemical spills that can impact the waters of the state must be reported by the spiller (and, in some cases, by anyone who has knowledge of the spills). This dataset contains records of spills of petroleum and other hazardous materials. Every year, DEC receives approximately 15,000 reports of confirmed or suspected releases to the environment. Approximately ninety percent of those releases involve petroleum products. The rest involve various hazardous materials, unknown materials, or other substances such as untreated sewage and cooking grease. Accidental releases of petroleum and/or other hazardous materials occur throughout New York State. Even small releases have the potential to endanger public health and contaminate groundwater, surface water, and soils.

Environmental damage from such releases depends on the material spilled, the quantity spilled and the extent of contamination. Many of these reports are releases of small quantities, typically a few gallons that are contained and cleaned up quickly with little or no damage to the environment. In other instances, material releases may seep through the soil and eventually into the groundwater, which can make water supplies unsafe to drink. Vapors from spilled materials may also collect in houses and businesses, creating potential indoor air health concerns or fire/explosion hazards. Uncontained spills, especially those that impact surface water, can kill or injure plants, fish, and wildlife, and cause damage to their habitats. Federal and State laws require prompt reporting of petroleum and other hazardous material releases to allow quick response. DEC responds to reports through the Spill Response Program. Both immediate response and continued cleanup vary depending on the type of material spilled and the resulting impacts to the environment. Federal and State law require the spiller, or responsible party, to notify government agencies and to contain, clean up, and dispose of any spilled/contaminated material in order to correct any environmental damage. This cleanup is typically undertaken by a qualified contractor hired by the responsible party. Any delay in containing or recovering a release allows contaminants to spread and may result in more extensive damage and more expensive cleanups. If the responsible party is unable or unwilling to do the necessary work, DEC will use its staff and contractors to complete the cleanup and seek to recover its costs from the responsible party. DEC can provide additional resources to local agencies during emergencies and will remain involved if continued cleanup of the environment is required. Continued cleanup is the responsibility of the spiller and is required if contamination and environmental damage remain after the initial containment and recovery. Continued cleanup may include determining the extent of contamination, selecting a cleanup technology, and completing remedial actions. DEC oversees the process to ensure the actions are protective of public safety, health and the environment pursuant to Article 12 Section 176 of the Navigation Law and regulations developed under Article 37 Section 105 of the ECL (i.e., 6NYCRR Parts 596-599).

This dataset includes records of spills of petroleum and other hazardous materials. Examples of what may be included in a spill record includes: Administrative information (DEC region and unique seven-digit spill number), Program facility name, Spill date/time, Location, Spill source and cause, Material(s) and material type spilled, Quantity spilled and recovered, Units measured, Surface water bodies affected, Close date (cleanup activity finished and all paperwork completed).

To give New Yorkers the access they deserve to government data and information, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo launched the Open NY initiative in March 2013 and signed Executive Order 95. It directs state agencies to identify, catalog, and publish their data on the state's open data website administered by the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS). Open NY increases transparency, improves government performance, empowers New Yorkers to participate in government, and encourages research and economic opportunities statewide.

Statistics

The county with the largest number of incidents is Westchester (49038, 10.43% of all incidents). The other major counties include Suffolk (44282, 9.41%), Nassau (39656, 8.43%), Queens (25841, 5.49%), and Erie (21429, 4.56%). The major cities of all incidents are Brooklyn (19353), Manhattan (14106), Bronx (12056), Queens (10348), and Rochester (6961).
The total number of incidents decreased slightly over the years since 2012. The average number of incidents occurred each year is around 10,000. We expect to see the number of incidents declining in the upcoming years, although there will not be significant changes.

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