Just after midnight East County Communications Center dispatched the N.E.F.D for a reported barn fire in the 8000 blk. of Gulf Rd. Chief 201 arrived on location reporting a 3 story  40 x 80 barn with heavy fire throughout asking for the 2nd and 3rd alarm dispatched to the scene.  Crews from North East arrived and began putting numerous large hand lines into service while Crescent Ladder 209 set up for an aerial attack.  As the 2nd and 3rd alarm units began to arrive, they were put to work assisting with suppression and water supply.  After a few hours of fire suppression crews began to notice that there was some type of petroleum based product flowing from the building. At that time command notified the Erie County Hazmat Team, Erie County EMA and asked for the 4th alarm dispatched to the scene for relief. Once EMA and the Hazmat team arrived on scene and began testing, they found that the water was contaminated with numerous farming chemicals and ordered all fire suppression operations to be stopped for further testing. After a short time of testing EMA determined the water to be hazardous to the environment and contacted the DEP.  Also a excavator was brought into start diggin some retention ponds to try and trap the contaminated water.  The fire was called under control after approx. 5 hrs and crews spent approx. 3 more hours with over haul.  The Fire is being investigated by the PSP Fire Marshal and the N.E.F.D.  Crews were assisted by Ripley, South Ripley, Findley Lake, Sherman, Westfield, Harbor Creek, Fairfield, Greenfiled, Lawrence Park and Wesleyville Fire Depts.  In all over 300,000 gallons of water where used to extinguish the fire.