The state's failure to report a 10,000-gallon chemical spill in Endicott to elected officials or the public has prompted lawmakers to introduce a public notification measure this week in the state Senate and Assembly.

Sen. Thomas W. Libous, R-Binghamton, introduced a bill late Tuesday that would require the state Department of Environmental Conservation to notify the public within 48 hours after agency officials learn of spills. The bill is co-sponsored by Donna A. Lupardo, D-Endwell, who said she also will introduce it in the Assembly this week.

Libous said the bill is necessary to ensure the public and elected officials are informed about pollution affecting neighborhoods. It was drafted days after Endicott residents learned ethylene glycol leaked from a broken pipe at the Huron Campus in January and seeped into the ground and a municipal storm sewer that emptied into the Susquehanna River.

Executives at Endicott Interconnect Technologies -- IBM's successor at the site -- said about half the spill was contained and cleaned. About 5,000 gallons of an ethylene glycol solution seeped into the ground near Clark Street and poured into the village storm sewer. The chemical -- a kind of antifreeze -- is toxic and can damage vital organs and nervous systems of people exposed to it.

"The minute it happened, we were on it," James Matthews, co-chairman of the company, said Tuesday. "Everything was done that could possibly be done."

Although company officials reported the Jan. 16 spill to the state within minutes, the state never passed the information along to village officials or anybody else. Rick Miller, superintendent of public works, said the village should have been immediately notified to protect workers who periodically clean storm sewers of debris and silt.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the DEC said agency officials will try to do a better job for Endicott residents.

"We do recognize that people in Endicott are especially concerned about spills that occur in the community and as such the DEC will work to better notify Endicott residents of spills that occur in the future," Maureen Wren, a spokeswoman for the DEC, said Tuesday.

Officials have said they had no evidence that the pollution -- which has not tainted the water supply -- poses a threat to the environment or health. They are still investigating and will require a cleanup if necessary, Wren said.

Advocates and environmentalists expressed anger over an information gap about the spill, which was not bridged until last week. Acting on a tip from a source in the company to Alliance@IBM-- a union organizing group -- local advocates eventually pieced together the information in March and April.

"What concerns me tremendously ... is the DEC fell down terribly in notifying the public," Libous said. "State agencies have to be accountable to the public."

Lupardo said the legislation is a simple and necessary step that will have a broad impact.

"It's something we are finding that is important for communities across the state. Not just in Broome County," she said.

Rick White, a spokesman for Alliance@IBM, said he was surprised and happy about the legislation. He also credited workers for the tip about the spill.

"I think this was a significant thing for the public and the community to find out about this when they did. I would have liked them to find out about it sooner," he said.

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