U.S./Canada Detroit River Mystery Spill; Rouge River, Detroit, Michigan and the Detroit River and Lake Erie from Amherstburg, Ontario to Colchester, Ontario

Rouge River, Detroit, Michigan and the Detroit River and Lake Erie from Amherstburg, Ontario to Colchester, Ontario | 1994-Aug-16

Initial Notification: At 1300 hours on 17 August, the USCG was notified by the Canadian Coast Guard of an animal fat substance being washed up on the Canadian shoreline. At 1400 hours the USCG initiated an assessment of the U.S. shoreline along the Detroit River. A vehicle was also dispatched to the Rouge River for a shoreline investigation. The USCG set up a command post at MSO Detroit and proceeded to contact local, state, and federal agencies. Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (MDNR) was designated by the Michigan State Police as the lead state agency for the investigation. After the USCG discovered similar material in the Rouge River, the CCG requested that the USCG invoke the U.S./Canada Great Lakes Contingency Plan. USCG district 9.