The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $5,750 penalty to Owens, Renz & Lee Inc., a property management company based in Branford, Conn., for failing to notify MassDEP of a release of fuel oil to the environment in Worcester within the required two-hour time frame.

According to MassDEP, on March 8, 2011, Owens, Renz & Lee acknowledged that fuel oil had been released from an outside fuel line that carried oil from a storage tank to a boiler room at a facility located at 484 Main St. in Worcester. To date, the exact cause and the amount of oil released remain unknown. The oil impacted the pavement, a smokestack pit, and a massive pile of snow that was located in an adjacent parking structure. MassDEP was informed of the release the following day by the Worcester Fire Department, and the cleanup was initiated.

The company has since completed the spill cleanup activities at the site. Under the terms of the settlement, the company will revise its spill management plan to prevent future incidents of this nature, and pay the penalty.      

"Timely release notification is critical. MassDEP is on-call 24/7 to respond to emergency spills and ensure prompt and appropriate cleanup actions are taken," said Lee Dillard Adams, acting director of MassDEP’s Central Regional Office in Worcester, in a statement.