OXFORD — Superintendent Rick Colpitts told the SAD 17 Board of Directors on Tuesday night that state environmental officials believe much of the oil accidentally spilled in December at the Hebron Station School oil has moved to unknown parts.

“They feel the oil has already moved. They just don’t know where,” Colpitts said.

About 1,900 gallons of oil leaked out of the school basement tank Dec. 24 as it was being filled by a driver from the C.N. Brown oil company in South Paris.

At the time, more than 1,700 gallons of oil was believed sitting beneath the school’s basement tank room, which is on a concrete slab, and a small amount had leaked into nearby wetlands. Sheryl Bernard, oil and hazardous materials responder for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, called the spill one of the most significant oil spills she has seen in her 24 years with DEP.

Colpitts said officials have placed a trough system in the tank room of the school where they hope to recover about 130 gallons of oil. They know some of the oil is in the nearby bog, but are unsure how much drained into the wetlands.

“They haven’t been able to find the remainder of the oil,” Colpitts said of the estimated 1,700 gallons.

The accident forced about 135 elementary students to relocate to Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris for more than a week following their return from winter break. They returned to Hebron on Jan. 13 after receiving approval for an alternative water distribution system. Although the well that services the school is not contaminated, DEP wants it to remain closed until officials are sure the well water does not pose any threat for human consumption.

Colpitts said students and staff at both schools have adapted to the situation.

“The experience of the horrific tragedy was mitigated by the kindness of the (high school) students,” said Colpitts, who also praised the high school staff who emptied out closets to make sure the elementary school teachers had space for their belongings and made other accommodations.

High school Principal Ted Moccia told directors he and Assistant Principal Patrick Hartnett went to the Hebron Station School on Tuesday morning to present the children with “I survived High School 2014” T-shirts for each student.

Director Elizabeth Swift, one of two Hebron representatives on the board, said the children’s experience at the high school broadened their perspective of the school community.

“They now know they belong to Oxford Hills,“ she said.

Colpitts said the Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health and Human Services are continuing to work together to clean up the spill and ensure a safe and healthy environment for the students and staff.

Maintenance workers at the school asked C.N. Brown on Dec. 23 to fill the 2,000-gallon tank because the fuel gauge showed it was running low.

An oil truck came the next day and pumped in about 160 gallons before a whistle that indicates there is space in the tank stopped blowing. Usually, Colpitts said, if the whistle stops, it means the tank is full, but in this case, the fuel gauge continued to read empty so the driver decided to continue pumping.

Oil overflowed and sprayed out of several parts of the tank, covering its self-contained concrete bunker under the school with about a foot of oil.

School officials were assured by C.N. Brown that someone would be back to pump it out immediately, but Colpitts said that never happened. The room emptied of oil within six hours.

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