Georges Mills Harbor oil spill fully contained, cleanup wraps up soon

Sunapee firefighters said the Georges Mills Harbor oil spill was fully contained and cleaned up, and they planned one last morning of work to remove the remaining containment devices and fully reopen the harbor.

The final cleanup step was scheduled for Sunday, May 17, from 8 to 10 a.m. During that work, the Georges Mills Boat Launch and parking area could be temporarily closed, and motorists and boaters were warned to expect minor delays. The update marked a shift from emergency response to recovery in a harbor that sits at the center of Lake Sunapee boating activity.

The spill was reported Wednesday, May 6, at 10:26 a.m. Sunapee Rescue 1 arrived at 10:41 a.m. and found a large spill with a visible sheen on the water, caused by a ruptured hydraulic line on a tow truck. Sunapee identified Lieutenant Timothy White as the incident commander. Fire crews deployed containment booms from Sunapee Boat 1 and used absorbent spill pads on shore while the town notified the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The Georges Mills Boat Launch was closed during the response.

An earlier update that same day said the spill had been successfully contained and the boat launch was expected to reopen within the hour, with a containment area left in place for 24 to 48 hours for final mitigation and monitoring. That sequence matters for residents, boaters and property owners around Georges Mills Harbor, where even a fast-moving response can disrupt water access and traffic at one of Sunapee’s key launch points.

The town’s later notice thanked mutual aid partners and environmental agencies for helping protect Lake Sunapee and Georges Mills Harbor through the incident. Sunapee’s release archive also shows a separate Sunapee Harbor oil spill dated October 21, 2025, underscoring that the town has dealt with more than one waterborne fuel release in recent months.