MacLouth Steel Petroleum; Trenton, Michigan

Trenton, Michigan | 1988-Apr-01

Initial Notification: NOAA/OMA was notified of the situation on April 1, 1988, by the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) Detroit, and asked to address the need for shoreline cleanup action to be taken by MacLouth. On April 6, the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) visited the MacLouth site with Coast Guard COTP Detroit investigators. Observations included a continuous discharge from the clarifier outfall and residual oil along shoreline as far as one-half mile downriver. A second visit by boat was made on April 13. The discharge was continuous throughout this visit as well. Nonimpacted shoreline above the discharge and bottom samples from the nearshore area further delineated the extent of contamination. Calculations of the impact suggest a volume of between 100 and 1,000 gallons of residual petroleum along the shoreline. This volume of petroleum would likely dissipate in a matter of weeks once the release was discontinued. The surrounding area along the Detroit River was also considered in making the recommendation. NOAA recommended that, once discharge was controlled, the shoreline should be evaluated to ensure that residual petroleum does not persist beyond the expected period. USCG district 9.