Friends of the Rouge call for investigation into Northville Downs oil spill

Northville – The nonprofit organization Friends of the Rouge has asked Mayor Brian Trumbull to investigate a June 21 oil spill at the Downs construction site and determine what steps need to be taken to prevent a repeat of the accident.

According to the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, between 80 and 85 gallons of oil spilled from eight drums and a storage container during the demolition of a building on the property. There is no danger to the public and containment measures were already in place on the day of the spill, the city said last week.

Some of the petroleum products seeped into a sewer and entered the Rouge River, the city said. On the night of the spill, an oil boom was placed in the river to contain and contain the oil, and a second boom was placed the next morning.

Project developer Hunter Pasteur hired a cleanup contractor, who reported to EGLE on Monday. They have seen no evidence of impacts from last week’s heavy rains on the river and plan to remove the barriers this week, said EGLE spokesman Hugh McDiarmid Jr. Some waste products are still on site until they can be analyzed in a lab and properly disposed of, McDiarmid said.