Coast Guard contractor cleaning oil spill in Lady’s Island creek

A U.S. Coast Guard contractor has been hired to clean up oil in Factory Creek at Lady’s Island Marina while the source is investigated, Department of Health and Environmental Control spokesman Jim Beasley said.

A crew began cleaning Tuesday, a marina boat owner said, with Coast Guard representatives on hand.

DHEC and the Coast Guard are investigating the Factory Creek oil and oil found in the water behind Beaufort Memorial Hospital on Sunday, Beasley said.

The hospital was told initially by DHEC the oil in Factory Creek is unrelated to its spill. The Coast Guard took oil samples from both sites, the hospital said on its website.

The Coast Guard looks at an oil’s chemical makeup to determine whether it matches a possible source, the agency’s website says.

An estimated 290 gallons of heating oil leaked into the hospital’s boiler room May 23. The oil was thought to be contained and cleaned up by the next day.

But the hospital now believes some of the oil settled in the drain and was flushed into the Beaufort River during the heavy rain Saturday night and Sunday morning. The amount of oil that reached the water from the hospital isn’t known, the hospital said in addressing questions on its website.

A hospital contractor has worked to clean the pipes and install a filter to prevent another spill, the hospital’s statement said this week. A 1,000-foot boom was installed along the shoreline to soak up oil.

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Coast Guard contractor cleaning oil spill in Lady’s Island creek."