WARREN, Mich. – The EPA has wrapped up cleanup efforts at Bear Creek in Warren after a chemical spill and handed over supervision to state authorities.
The spill of a blue-colored substance in the Bear Creek Drain was first noticed Wednesday, Feb. 7, by a construction contractor that had been working to replace a culvert beneath Mound Road near 11 Mile Road. The construction crew notified an inspector with the Macomb County Public Works Office.
“We quickly notified city officials and county and state agencies -- including the governor’s office -- to ensure rapid response and a full investigation,” Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller said. “Our Public Works team also quickly notified an environmental services contractor to place booms along the surface of the open-channel portion of the Bear Creek Drain. While some foam on the surface was blocked, the unknown substance is water soluble and continued to flow to the Red Run Drain.”
The spill was tracked upstream to an unoccupied industrial building that used to serve as a metal treating operation. Warren city officials looked at water usage and said there was a large spike in water usage on Jan. 24.
It is believed that the spill was caused when a frozen water pipe in the building burst and washed some chemicals into the storm drain. On Thursday, Feb. 8, EGLE staff entered the building and found a “significant buildup of material on the floor.” Small buckets and drums of material were also in the building.
Officials believe water from the broken water line spilled through the material on the floor and on the buckets and drums before spilling into the drain.
Officials said the storm sewer was cleaned and unplugged. Absorbent “pom-poms” were placed in Bear Creek to slow the movement of sediment. Those “pom-poms” will stay there while the inside of the plant is cleaned.
Michigan’s EGLE will oversee the ongoing cleanup efforts inside the plant.
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