Used motor oil containers have been dumped in a country lane in Wheathampstead, with the weekend weather washing engine oil as far as “a quarter of a mile” down the road.
Residents alerted their ward councillor for the area, Sandra Wood, who visited Sheepcote Lane yesterday.
The oil had been dumped about 300 metres south of where Sheepcote Lane connects with Codicote Lane.
Sheepcote Lane is an unmade and unlit byway that connects Codicote Lane to Marford Road in Wheathampstead.
It is open to all vehicles and it has often been a target for fly tippers in the past.
Councillor Wood told the Herts Ad: “This incident is particularly bad. There looks to have been over 30 oil containers and two full-size oil drums dumped on the site.
“It looks like somebody has been clearing out a commercial garage site.
“What has made this incident far worse is that it looks like the perpetrators didn’t just dump the containers – they removed the caps off the containers and poured the oil out onto the lane.
“The rain over the weekend has washed the oil over a quarter of a mile down the lane, causing major pollution.”
There may have been as much as 2,000 litres of oil dumped in the lane.
In addition to the used engine oil, garden decking with a distinctive grey paint has also been fly tipped in the lane, alongside white picket fencing.
A spokesman for St Albans District Council said: “We are in the process of clearing up the lane, but some of the containers and liquid may be hazardous – the area has been cordoned off.
“It might not just be oil, it might be something else. We have got to be very careful with health and safety and we can’t say for sure that it is oil.
“We have a third party contractor coming in to remove the bottles shortly.
“The timber is in the process of being removed by our waste contractor, Veolia. As the area is not easily accessible, special arrangements have to be made. It should all be cleared by the end of the week.
“We haven’t seen any evidence as to who is responsible or where it’s come from, but if we find any we will pursue the perpetrators.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here