Last week, a Clintonville Road resident smelled deisel fuel in his yard and the surrounding area. A day after he noticed an oil-like substance in the same ditch ? triggering a call to police and discovery of an estimated 20-50 gallons of spilled deisel fuel.
The spill occurred at a construction site in Independence Township on Clintonville Road near Waldon Road. According to police reports, the spill occurred on April 5 at 9 a.m., a day before the resident called authorities around 5 p.m.
The Department of Environmental Quality arrived to help the North Oakland County Hazmat Team and Independence Township Fire Department clean the site. According Engineer Paramedic Gary Sharp of the fire department, the site was clean as of April 6.
‘It was such a small amount, we don’t believe it was a hazard,? said Sharp, who noted no evacuation was needed due to the spill.
‘The Health Department may test some of the wells in the area on Clintonville Road for the residents as a precaution,? added Sharp. ‘If people have questions they can call the fire department.?
According to Sharp, special pads for absorbing fuel were place in the stream and the contaminated soil was being removed.
‘The DEQ is satisfied with cleanup and don’t recommend anything further,? said Lt. Dale LaBair of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Independence Township substation.
Referring to initial reports that stated approxmately 100 gallons spilled, LaBair said the ‘spill is not as great as they initially thought,? agreeing it was probably closer to the 25 gallons estimated by a construction worker on site.
Reports state the sheriff’s deputies assisted firefighters in tracing the spill to a site managed by a construction where another completed ground work.
The investigation revealed a large pile of dirt saturated with diesel fuel as the source for the contamination. As stated in reports, the spill occurred as a worker moved one of two fuel tanks. During the process, a hose to the other fuel tank was accidentally severed and went unnoticed for about 10 minutes.
The worker on site then attempted to clean up the site by digging up the affected soil with an excavator and piling it above ground.
According to reports, the area is being ‘dewatered? via pumps and being discharged into a nearby river. The spill appears to have spread even though the pumps were shut down following discovery of the spill.