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Northville oil spill: Residents say they warned officials about dangers of building demolition

Oil spills into river

The scene where oil spilled into the river in Northville. (WDIV)

NORTHVILLE, Mich. – Frustrated residents said they warned officials about the dangers of demolishing a building before it ultimately spilled oil into the river.

The demolition happened around 4 p.m. Friday, June 21, 2024, causing the release of motor oil and kerosene that had been stored inside, officials said.

Water runoff during the demolition allowed the spill to enter the storm drain, and some of it seeped into the river.

Residents stood on the 7 Mile Road bridge, pointing out oil in the water and expressing concern about what had happened.

“How is it possible that they would demolish a building and have that kind of potential hazmat situation ending up in the sewer system?” Northville resident Steve Pichan said

Pichan and others said they blame city leaders for not listening to their concerns voiced over the past several months.

“They’ve been warned for a year and a half,” resident Jeff Snyder said. “Not just from myself, but from advocates around town about potential hazardous materials on site.”

Snyder said more should have been done to prevent this from happening.

“You would think that they would go in (the building) before and look, right?” Snyder said. “Because that’s part of the mitigation process to do that environmental research.”


About the Author
Jacqueline Francis headshot

Jacqueline Francis is an award-winning journalist who joined the WDIV team in September 2022. Prior to Local 4, she reported for the NBC affiliate in West Michigan. When she’s not on the job, Jacqueline enjoys taking advantage of all the wonders Michigan has to offer, from ski trips up north to beach days with her dog, Ace.

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