Environmental regulators to discuss Ottawa Lake diesel spill at public meetings

Officials will be available to answer questions from Monroe County residents about the diesel spill from an Ottawa Lake gas station at two town hall meetings on Wednesday.

The meetings are scheduled for noon and 5 p.m. Wednesday at St. Michael Lutheran Church, 5790 W. Temperance Road in Ottawa Lake. State and federal environmental and health officials will be there to update attendees on the cleanup progress.

A leaking diesel fuel line at the Pilot Travel Center, 6158 New US-223, released tens of thousands of gallons of diesel into the storm sewers, a retention pond and North Tenmile Creek in late March.

More than a half million gallons of fuel or polluted water have been recovered from the impacted sites as of Monday, the EPA said. Response agencies also have collected 120 cubic yards of debris, such as oily grasses, branches and garbage, from the storm sewers and creek.

All of that water will be treated on site with an activated carbon system to remove oil and contamination. After treatment, the water will be discharged into White Creek and tested to ensure it isn't polluted.

The response crews also set up booms along North Tenmile Creek to contain pollution, removed contaminated vegetation along the creek and cleaned out the impacted sewer system.

The Monroe County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have sampled 137 private drinking water wells and are continuing to sample more. Residents can still schedule sampling.

The work along North Tenmile Creek should be completed within "a couple weeks," the EPA said. EGLE will dredge the creek to remove potential diesel from the bottom.

EPA and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy are discussing the future cleanup plan with the gas station company.

ckthompson@detroitnews.com