Mount Vernon's Department of Public Works and the state Department of Environmental Conservation have confirmed cooking oil was dumped into part of the Hutchinson River.

Residents near the river had been complaining of a foul order that was worse on hot days. DPW and DEC officials tracked the source and found the oil had been improperly disposed by a privately owned cooking oil transfer station on Washington Street.

An outside contractor has been hired by the city to clean the mess up. Testing will also be done to determine if any other businesses are dumping in the river.

Mount Vernon says the oil recycling company did not have the proper permits. The city plans on billing the company for the cost of the cleanup.