I didn't get myself together to put anything in the paper on this, but the reading public ought to know that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a hearing on Monday morning, at which it will consider levying fines against the city for a 2007 hydraulic oil spill.

The spill, which was recently recounted over at isaratoga, was claimed to be only one of many spills that occurred under the watch of former Commissioner Thomas McTygue. A lengthy DEC investigation ensued, and now, a year and a half later, the city is still feeling the fall out. And by "feeling the fall out," I mean, paying to clean up the mess.

At the least, the city will pay the law firm Harris Beach a rate of $250 per hour, up to $10,000, to represent the city in this matter. This expenditure was approved during an executive session at the last City Council meeting. At the worst, this could cost the city much more. The DEC is reportedly considering levying fines against the city, which could be anywhere from $200,000 to $1 million.

Why did the original spill occur in the first place? Your guess is as good as mine, but one thing is certain, the city government's turning a blind eye to the spill (or attempting to) has come back to bite us in the ass.

Look for updates following Monday's hearing. Have a good weekend.