Man, woman arrested after dumping up to 500 gallons of oil on 33 miles of Alabama roads

Two Alabama residents were charged after intentionally dumping as much as 500 gallons of oil throughout two counties, according to authorities.

After the May 20 spill, a slick, 33-mile trail now marks roads in Lawrence County and Morgan County, Alabama. Crews spent almost 70 hours cleaning up the spill with 37 tons of sand, News 19 reported.

After some residents provided police with surveillance footage of the incident, a man and a woman, both from Courtney, Alabama, were charged with criminal littering and criminal mischief and arrested on Monday, online records show. Other charges in other jurisdictions are possible, according to police.

The sheriff’s office believes the oil was “purposely” spilled, Chief Deputy Brian Covington told News 19.

A blue GMC pickup truck the pair was driving pulled a utility trailer with a container “capable of holding upwards of 500 gallons,” the sheriff’s office said.

Two people were charged after dumping oil on roads in Lawrence County, Alabama, on May 20, 2023, the Sheriff's Office said. — Two people were charged after dumping oil on roads in Lawrence County, Alabama, on May 20, 2023, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The truck “randomly” discarded oil on the roadways before the rest was dumped on a road in Decatur, according to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.

Bond for the arrested couple was set at $2,500 each.

USA TODAY is not identifying the people arrested because it was not immediately clear if they were charged with a felony. USA TODAY reached out to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office for more information.