EPA says diesel spill in Detroit River contained
TRENTON, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The Environmental Protection Agency says a leak from an underground storage tank that spilled diesel fuel into the Detroit River near Trenton has been contained.
According to a press release from the EPA, a local resident noticed a light oil sheen coming from a storm sewer after heavy rain that fell on Monday. The following day, city officials inspected the storm sewer and noticed a considerable sheen on the river. The city traced the leak to an underground storage on the property of the former Riverside Chiropractic Hospital, located on the 2100 block of W. Jefferson Avenue. The property has been abandoned for nearly 20 years.
The owners of the property were then contacted and the sewer was plugged. Workers were able to remove seaweed from the river that contained oil and air monitoring showed no respiratory hazards.
The Environmental Protection Agency released an update Thursday morning, detailing exactly the amount of fuel that was discharged into the river:
"The EPA continues to oversee the potentially responsible party's efforts to pump diesel from the underground storage tank to secondary containers to be removed off-site. As of Wednesday, 20,000 gallons of oil and 10,000 gallons of oil/water have been recovered from the tank and storm drain. An estimated 5 gallons of diesel fuel have reached the river. The amount of diesel fuel released to the environment - outside the tank, in the soil and storm sewer - that amount is unknown. EPA continues to work with the PRPs to identify how the diesel leaked into the storm sewer."
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell released a statement Wednesday evening regarding the leak, calling it inexcusable.
"Overnight we learned a red-dye diesel had been released from an underground storage tank near the closed Riverside Osteopathic Hospital in Trenton, which entered into the storm drain system and discharged into the Detroit River. This is another alarming and inexcusable pollution event, said Dingell in the release. "This is just the latest in a series of threats to our waterways and environment, and a reminder of the importance of vigilantly protecting our water sources and holding irresponsible actors accountable. We will share updates as they become available."
The EPA says the property owners will drain the storm sewer and jet the sewer lines to remove the residual fuel that remains. Stay with CBS Detroit for updates.
