REO Town river contamination continues
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A February incident that led to contamination in the Grand River in REO Town continues to cause problems.
6 News visited the location on Friday after a concerned resident called. An oily sheen can be seen on the river water near the clean-up equipment called booms.
“Our folks will be out there checking on the site this week,” writes Hugh McDiarmid, Jr., communications manager for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, in an email.
Officials from the department responded to the bridge in late February based on citizen complaints. They discovered a crew working for CN Rail had over-applied a petroleum product to the railroad ties on the bridge crossing the river.
“Fluctuating water levels have complicated work to cover the underside of the bridge to prevent additional dripping, which apparently is worse with the warmer weather,” he tells 6 News. “The photos showing sheen are areas that are sometimes dry and at other times under water. Our staff will be checking on that this week to see if it is new product or residual staining.”
A clear plastic bag with a contaminated boom was also found under the crossing, as well as rocks stained with creosote.
“We were unaware of the soiled boom but will address that when our staff gets out there,” McDiarmid writes.
NCFS_445 Creosote Coal TarDownload
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