A fuel truck making a delivery to Jim’s Package store in Oak Bluffs on Friday spilled an undetermined amount of gasoline near Nancy’s Restaurant along the harbor. The spill was not reported to town or state officials until three days later.

The driver for Loud Fuel, a fuel wholesaler out of Falmouth, reportedly connected to an above-ground gas tank and then left the filling hose unattended, causing the tank to overfill as gasoline sprayed out for several minutes. The tank was connected to the gas station at Jim’s Package Store, owned by Mark and Mike Wallace.

According to several town officials, the spill was detected when employees at Nancy’s smelled a strong odor of gasoline over the weekend. Managers went outside and found evidence of a spill, and reviewed a video tape from a surveillance camera mounted in back of the restaurant.

The tape, which was later shown to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and town officials, shows the unattended filling hose spilling gasoline onto the ground for between five to seven minutes. When the driver finally discovered the spill, he tried to clean the spill using paper towels and a special absorbent material from the truck, the tape shows.

The tape shows the driver then leaving the scene.

The DEP responded on Monday, and Loud Fuel has been issued a notice of responsibility, which alerts an individual or company of potential liabilities. DEP spokesman Theresa Barao said gasoline seeped into an underground area containing utilities, and some airborne vapors were detected.

The area since has been covered by a sheet of polyurethane to minimize vapors, she said. Loud Fuel has hired a licensed site professional to evaluate the best way to handle the cleanup. “It’s a very tight area, which could prevent certain types of equipment from being brought in . . . the cleanup may include some hand digging,” Ms. Barao said.

Town administrator Michael Dutton said the town fire department has conducted tests and determined there is no immediate health threat from the spill. The board of health has also inspected the spill site and is working closely with the DEP to coordinate the cleanup effort, he said.

Ms. Barao said the DEP is working to determine the amount of gas spilled. The notice of responsibility could come with a fine, she said.

Oak Bluffs fire chief Peter Forend said the fuel company will be cited by the town. The minimum fine for this type of spill is $100, he said.

Mark Wallace said yesterday he was unaware of the spill until early this week.

“We were not made aware of this on Friday or over the weekend . . . we found out just like everybody else after Nancy’s discovered it and put out the alert,” he said.

He said Loud Fuel has since taken the proper steps to clean the spill.

Oak Bluffs harbor master Todd Alexander said there is no evidence the gas spill reached the nearby harbor, although there is a chance some gasoline reached the town sewer system.

Wastewater superintendent Joe Alosso said there is evidence the gasoline reached a drain behind Nancy’s that is connected to the town sewer. He said gasoline can potentially kill the microorganisms needed for breaking down solid waste.

“Initially there was a smell of gasoline near the open drain, but so far there are no indications it has caused additional problems. We will continue to monitor the situation for the next four to five days to see if the microorganisms have been affected,” Mr. Alosso said.