A mysterious cooking oil dumping incident leads to road closures in Oakland County

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich – Police believe a large amount of cooking oil was intentionally spilled on the streets of a West Bloomfield Township Neighborhood.

“It’s very strange that someone would sit in the back of a box truck and dump it in the middle of the street,” said Tracey Fulton, president of the neighborhood association.

Fulton woke up Tuesday morning (May 7) to find a thick layer of oil in the middle of her street.

It happened Monday evening on Square Lake Road west of Middlebelt Road Oakland County and surrounding residential streets.

The affected main roads and junctions were closed to ensure the safety of motorists as the oil caused a slippery surface.

Craig Bryson of the Oakland County Road Commission said the roads have been reopened after cleaning and treatment.

Bryson said a hazmat team tested the substance and believed it was some type of cooking oil.

“This is obviously not legal and has created a major problem for the residents of this area.”

The police are investigating and have gained concrete information.

Bryson said the substance is harmless to the environment and people.

“This is not a hazardous material,” Bryson said. “It will break in the grass and dirt. It will not cause any health concerns.”

Still, neighbors said the environmental impact remains worrisome.

“We’ve been in contact with the Department of Motor Vehicles, with EGLE, and we feel like it’s kind of been taken off the list because it’s not dangerous,” Fulton said. “They cleaned it up and then left. So we’ll see if they come back tomorrow.”