The city of Norwich, CT has placed a demolition lien on the defunct company that owns the Capehart Mill for cleanup costs incurred after an oil spill last month.

A lien of $23,200 was filed against Foot of Fifth LLC last week to cover the first day's cleanup after electrical transformers began leaking oil July 12 into the Shetucket River.

Clean Harbors Environmental Services of Bristol was called in to address the situation.

Fire Chief Kenneth Scandariato said the transformers have not been removed from the site yet.

"The last the Department of Environmental Services reported to me, the booms were still in place recovering oil," Scandariato said. "It could still take weeks, even months to resolve. There's no way to tell how long."

Planning Director Peter Davis said the city is simply trying to recover their expenses.

"The chances are slim to none we'll be able to do that," he said.

Foot of Fifth LLC already owes almost $600,000 in tax liens.

Mayor Ben Lathrop said negotiations with interested developers POKO Partners LLC of Port Chester, N.Y. are still ongoing despite this latest problem at the site.

"They are still very interested, and hopefully we'll see some direction from corporation counsel by early September as to how to proceed," Lathrop said.

"They have my support. They have a good track record and know how to get financing."

The City Council has met in a number of executive sessions with the group to discuss the reassignment of the tax lien.