48°
Borough police and firefighters were called to the Municipal Building, 23 N. State Street, for a reported oil spill on Sunday, April 23, they said in a release.
Investigators quickly realized that the oil came from a storage container at the nearby Brick Hotel, they wrote. Police believe that suspects were trying to steal the hotel's used cooking oil when it spilled in the Borough Hall parking lot, but the matter remains under investigation, according to the release.
The state Department of Environmental Protection, Newtown Emergency Management, and Newtown firefighters responded to the scene and contained the spill, authorities said.
Environmental service company Copperhead Custom was dispatched to handle the cleanup on Sunday, and returned on Monday, April 24 after officials determined the lot "needed further cleaning," officials wrote.
The lot will be closed until further notice, and residents are being asked to use caution when walking in the area.
"There are no dangers to the public from the spill," borough police said. "All precautions have been taken to prevent the spill from entering the waterway."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Bethlehem and receive free news updates.
