# MEK/HICKSVILLE, NY SPILL
> **Judicial** · FY1983 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `1874`
- **Case Number:** 02-1983-0009
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** $1.80M
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- CAPGO TRUCKING COMPANY (complaint) (settlement)
- INTERSTATE CIGAR CO (complaint) (settlement)
- JERRY SPIEGEL ASSOCIATES
- MATTIACE INDUSTRIES, INC (complaint) (settlement)
- REILLY, PETER (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

ON ABOUT FEB.16, 1982, MATTIACE INDUSTRIES INC. (A SELLER OF VARIOUS CHEMICAL PRODUCTS) ARRANGED WITH MR. PETER REILLY TO DRIVE A TANKER TRAILER WITH A FULL LOAD OF APPROX. 8,000  GALLONS OF METHYL ETHYL KETONE FROM A LOCATION IN NJ TO A    LOCATION IN VIRGINIA. MR. REILLY WAS AT THAT TIME AN EMPLOY- EE OF CAPGO TRUCKING, INC., WHO REGULARLY DROVE TRUCK SHIP-  MENTS FOR MATTIACE. MR. REILLY PICKED UP THE MEK IN NJ DUR-  ING THE AFTERNOON OF THAT DAY, BUT INSTEAD OF DRIVING DIRECT TO VA. HE ELECTED TO FIRST RETURN TO HIS HOME IN HICKSVILLE. DURING THE NIGHT FROM FEB.16 TO 17, REILLY PARKED THE TRAIL- ER IN THE SO-CALLED  AUSTIN DRUGS  WAREHOUSE YARD LOCATED AT 530 W.JOHN STREET IN HICKSVILLE.  THIS FACILITY IS OWNED BY  JERRY SPIEGEL ASSOCIATES, AND WAS LEASED AND OPERATED BY THE INTERSTATE CIGAR CO. AT THE TIME.                               REILLY UNHOOKED THE TRACTOR AND LEFT THE TRAILER IN THE   WAREHOUSE PARKING LOT, WHICH WAS NOT CONSTRUCTED TO SUPPORT  SUCH HEAVY LOADS. AT SOME POINT DURING THE NIGHT THE TRAILER OVERTURNED, SPILLING ABOUT 4,800 GALLONS OF MEK. A NIGHT     WATCHMAN NOTICED THE SPILL AT ABOUT 1:00 AM AND ALERTED THE  HICKSVILLE FIRE DEPT., WHICH RESPONDED TO THE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD POSED BY THE HIGHLY IGNITABLE MEK BY SPRAYING A LARGE VOLUME OF WATER AND WATER-BASED FOAM OVER THE SPILL SITE. ON THE MORNING OF FEB.17, MATTIACE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SPILL.   MATTIACE REMOVED THE TRAILER WITH THE REMAINING MEK; MATTIAC ALSO RECOVERED ABOUT 1000 GALLONS OF ME

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