(gulch.jon@epa.gov)

Site Location:
6158 New US 223
Ottawa Lake, MI 49267
epaosc.org/Ottawa_Lake_Diesel
NRC#: 1394413

Site Update
Monday, April 22, 2024

On-Site Updates

• Due to the karst geology in Monroe County, EPA began monitoring for any evidence of sheen and/or odor at several natural spring locations near the site. No impacts from the spill have been found. Monitoring of these locations will continue daily.
• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  

• *On-site water treatment is completely on hold while the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is re-evaluated. Liquid waste continues to be shipped off site to certified disposal facilities.

• Primary excavation/dredging activities in North Tenmile Creek are complete. Restoration and final grading will be finished by the end of the week.

• Containment boom is being maintained at six locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, and Consear Road).
• On-site, concrete removal and disassembly of the diesel system are ongoing. Gravel is being removed to reveal the underground piping.
• Drilling operations are ongoing to further delineate the extent of contamination on-site.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

Public Health

• The initial round of private drinking water well sampling was completed on April 16, 2024.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled 580 wells to date. Analytical results have been returned for 513 of those samples. MCHD and MDHHS will continue to communicate these results to property owners as they are received.

Site Update
Thursday, April 18, 2024

As cleanup continues, updates will now be twice a week.

On-Site Updates

• Due to the karst geology in Monroe County, EPA began monitoring for any evidence of sheen and/or odor at several natural spring locations near the site. No impacts from the spill have been found. Monitoring of these locations will continue daily.
• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  

  *On-site water treatment is completely on hold while the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is re-evaluated. Liquid waste continues to be shipped off-site to a certified disposal facility.
  
  

  • Additionally, an approximate 160 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.
• Excavation/dredging is nearing completion in North Tenmile Creek. Final grading and restoration activities will continue through the end of the week.

• Containment boom is being maintained at six locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, and Consear Road).
• On-site, concrete removal and disassembly of the diesel system are ongoing. Gravel is being removed to reveal underground piping.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

Public Health

• The initial round of private drinking water well sampling was completed on April 16, 2024.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled a total of 580 wells to date. Analytical results have been returned to property owners for 380 samples. MCHD and MDHHS will continue to communicate these results to property owners as they are received.

Site Update
Tuesday, April 16, 2024

On-Site Updates

• Due to the karst geology in Monroe County, EPA began monitoring for any evidence of sheen and/or odor at several natural spring locations near the site. No impacts from the spill have been found. Monitoring of these locations will continue daily.
• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  

  *On-site water treatment is completely on hold while the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is re-evaluated. Liquid waste continues to be shipped off site to a certified disposal facility.
  

  • Additionally, an approximate 160 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.
• Excavation/dredging is ongoing in North Tenmile Creek.

• Containment boom is maintained at six locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, and Consear Road).
• On-site concrete removal and disassembly of the diesel system are ongoing.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

  Public Health

• Private drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled 481 drinking water wells. An additional 82 appointments for sampling were scheduled for today. Today is the final day of sampling for this initial round of screening.

Site Update
Monday, April 15, 2024

On-Site Updates

• Due to the karst geology in Monroe County, EPA began monitoring for any evidence of sheen and/or odor at several natural spring locations near the site. No impacts from the spill have been found. Monitoring of these locations will continue daily.
• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  

  *On-site water treatment is completely on hold while the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is re-evaluated. Liquid waste continues to be shipped off site to a certified disposal facility.
  

  • Additionally, an approximate 160 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.
• Jetting the storm sewer that runs underneath US 23 was completed April 13.
• Excavation/dredging of North Tenmile Creek began April 15. Work will be performed from north to south beginning at the outfall down to US 23.
• Containment boom is being maintained at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, Consear Road, and Yankee Road).
• The on-site subsurface investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of contamination, including the installation of three more monitoring perimeter wells.
• Disassembly of diesel pump islands at the parking lot north of the Pilot Station is complete. Concrete removal around the pump islands is ongoing.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

  Public Health

• Private drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled 481 drinking water wells. An additional 81 appointments for sampling have been scheduled for tomorrow.

Site Update
Friday, April 12, 2024

Please note, the daily updates will move to weekday updates. There will not be an update this weekend.  

On-Site Updates

• Due to the karst geology in Monroe County, EPA began monitoring for any evidence of sheen and/or odor at several natural spring locations near the site. No impacts from the spill have been found. Monitoring of these locations will continue daily.
• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  

  *On-site water treatment is completely on hold while the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is re-evaluated. Pilot began shipping waste off site to a disposal facility on April 11, 2024.

  • Additionally, an approximate 140 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.

• Containment boom is being maintained at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, Consear Road, and Yankee Road).
• Vegetation removal continues in the on-site retention/environmental control pond.
• The on-site subsurface investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of contamination.
• The initial stages of disassembly of diesel pumps island at the parking lot north of the Pilot Station is underway. Activities included cutting concrete and disassembly of fuel pumps.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

  Public Health

• Private drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled 372 drinking water wells. An additional 89 appointments for sampling have been scheduled for today.

Planned Work

• Excavation and remediation of North Tenmile Creek will begin later in the week between US 23 and US 223. Work will begin off the shoulder of US 23 following MDOT regulations. Strict best management practices will be followed to prevent erosion and protect endangered species habitat.

Daily Site Update
Thursday, April 11, 2024

EPA and EGLE met with Pilot to determine the extent of contamination under the station. Pilot decided to perform a full excavation of the affected area of the property, including removal of the pumping stations, fuel lines, storage tanks, and other affected utilities. When the removal is complete, Pilot will replace double-walled pipes and install new, double wall fiberglass tanks and double wall piping with interstitial monitoring (monitoring the space between the walls of the double-walled tanks for spills) for all secondary containment. Once finished, Pilot will move to the gasoline side of the facility to duplicate these efforts and remove all tanks. All new systems will be in line with the latest 2024/2025 guidance and regulations. 

On-Site Updates

• All updates can be found on EPA’s website: response.epa.gov/Ottawa_Lake_Diesel
• Due to the karst geology in Monroe County, EPA began monitoring for any evidence of sheen and/or odor at several natural spring locations near the site. No impacts from the spill have been found. Monitoring of these locations will continue daily.
• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  

  *On-site water treatment has started, but discharge is still pending initial preliminary analytical results to comply with National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

  • Additionally, an approximate 140 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.

• Containment boom is being maintained at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, Consear Road, and Yankee Road).
• Vegetation removal continues in the on-site retention/environmental control pond.
• The on-site subsurface investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of contamination.
• The initial stages of disassembly of diesel pumps island at the parking lot north of the Pilot Station is underway. Activities included cutting concrete and disassembly of fuel pumps.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.
  
  Public Health
• Private drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled 262 drinking water wells. An additional 130 appointments for sampling are scheduled for today and tomorrow (4/11 and 4/12).

Planned Work

• Excavation and remediation of North Tenmile Creek will begin later this week between US 23 and US 223. Work will begin off the shoulder of US 23 following MDOT regulations. Strict best management practices will be followed to prevent erosion and protect endangered species habitat.

Daily Site Update
Wednesday, April 10, 2024

• All updates can be found on EPA’s website: response.epa.gov/Ottawa_Lake_Diesel
• EPA, EGLE, MCHD and MDHHS attended two townhall meetings to present updates and answer questions.
• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  

  • On-site water treatment has started, but discharge is still pending initial preliminary analytical results to comply with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
  • Additionally, an approximate 140 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.
• All water collected is run through an on-site water treatment system, referred to as a granulated activated carbon system. This process will remove trace oil and contamination from the water prior to discharge to White Creek. This water will be tested several times per week by Pilot, with EPA/EGLE oversight. EPA and EGLE will take additional confirmation samples to verify results. Water that is cleared by analytical results will be discharged off-site in accordance with the temporary NPDES permit approved by EGLE.

• Containment boom is being maintained at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, Consear Road, and Yankee Road).
• Contaminated vegetation removal continues along North Tenmile Creek and in the on-site retention/environmental control pond.
• The on-site subsurface investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of contamination, which includes collection of soil samples, groundwater samples, and installation of recovery wells where product is encountered.
• Pilot implemented control measures for upcoming rain event. Measures include:
  • Installing floating boom system behind Sunoco and at the confluence along Jeffs Road,
  • Stationing vacuum trucks near the excavation to collect any rainwater,
  • Stationing a 3-inch pump at the Erie Road underflow dam in case of flooding.
• Pilot began the initial stages of disassembly of the diesel pumps island at the parking lot north of the station. Activities included cutting concrete and disassembly of fuel pumps.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.
• EPA and EGLE are reevaluating the NPDES permitted discharge due to new information provided. No discharge has occurred off-site yet and the permit requirements may be modified.
• Private drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled 245 wells, preliminary results have been received from 118, and 59 sampling locations are scheduled for today.

Planned Work:

• Excavation and remediation of North Tenmile Creek will begin later this week between US 23 and US 223. Strict best management practices will be followed to prevent erosion and protect endangered species habitat.
• Discharge of treated wastewater will begin, pending preliminary analytical results complying with NPDES permit.
• Starting tomorrow, EPA intends to investigate an area known as the “big sink” – an underground geological formation – and nearby spring-fed streams as part of monitoring to determine if contamination has resurfaced from karst geology. These checks will continue daily.

Daily Site Update
Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 10, two town hall meetings will be held at St. Michael Lutheran Church, 5790 W. Temperance Road, Ottawa Lake, for residents to ask questions and hear about recent cleanup efforts at the site. The first meeting is at noon, the second at 5 p.m. Federal, state and local officials will provide brief presentations and participate in a question-and-answer session after with Pilot. 

EPA

• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

   

  *There was an error in the way Pilot measured and reported daily quantities to EPA on April 8.  The total diesel recovered was not 40,448 gallons. The total diesel amount has been verified for the update today.

  • When on-site water treatment begins, additional metrics will be reported including gallons of treated water and gallons of treated water discharge via the EGLE-approved permit. This process is still pending initial preliminary analytical results to comply with National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
  • Additionally, an approximate 120 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.
• All water collected will be run through an on-site water treatment system, referred to as a granulated activated carbon system. This process will remove trace oil and contamination from the water prior to discharge to White Creek. This water will be tested several times per week by Pilot, with oversight from EPA/EGLE who will take additional confirmation samples to verify results. Water cleared by analytical results will be discharged off-site in accordance with the temporary NPDES permit approved by EGLE.

• Containment boom is being maintained at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, Consear Road, and Yankee Road).
• Contaminated vegetation removal continues along North Tenmile Creek. In addition, vegetation removal continues in the on-site retention/environmental control pond.
• The on-site subsurface investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of contamination, which includes collection of soil samples, groundwater samples, and installation of recovery wells where product is encountered.
  • The on-site groundwater monitoring wells, installed up to 20 feet below ground surface, do not have free diesel product.
  • The existing on-site recovery wells, set at approximately 4 feet below ground surface, have shown free diesel product which has been removed on a regular basis.
  • EPA and EGLE are constantly evaluating subsurface data to determine the horizontal extent of contamination from this release.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

Planned Work:

• Excavation and remediation of North Tenmile Creek will begin later in the week between US 23 and US 223. Strict best management practices will be followed to prevent erosion and protect endangered species habitat.
• Discharge of treated wastewater will begin, pending preliminary analytical results complying with NPDES permit.

Public Health

• Private drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• MCHD, MDHHS, and Pilot have sampled 146 wells, preliminary results have been received from 118. Today, 59 sampling locations are scheduled for sampling.

Daily Site Update
Monday, April 8, 2024

On Wednesday, April 10, two town hall meetings will be held at St. Michael Lutheran Church, 5790 W. Temperance Road, Ottawa Lake, for residents to ask questions and hear about recent cleanup efforts at the site. The first meeting is at noon, the second at 5 p.m. Federal, state and local officials will provide brief presentations. A question-and-answer session will follow that will include Pilot.

EPA

• The following chart summarizes the product recovered on-site to date:

• 

  • Starting tomorrow, there will be additional metrics reported including gallons of treated water and gallons of treated water discharge via the EGLE approved permit.
• Additionally, an approximate 120 cubic yards of debris (oiled grass, sticks, branches, pop bottles/cans, and general garbage) have been removed from the off-site sewers and North Tenmile Creek as part of the evaluation and cleanup process.
• All water collected will be run through an on-site water treatment system, referred to as a granulated activated carbon system. This process will remove trace oil and contamination from the water prior to discharge to White Creek. This water will be tested several times per week by Pilot, with oversight from EPA/EGLE who will take additional confirmation samples to verify results. Water that is cleared by analytical results will be discharged off-site in accordance with the temporary National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit approved by EGLE.

• Line jetting operations to remove sediment and diesel from the off-site sewer has been completed. Sediment and liquids collected were contained for treatment and/or off-site disposal.
• Containment boom is being maintained at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, Consear Road, and Yankee Road).
• Contaminated vegetation removal continues along North Tenmile Creek. In addition, vegetation removal has started in the on-site retention/environmental control pond.
• The on-site subsurface investigation in ongoing to determine the extent of contamination, which includes collection of soil samples, groundwater samples, and installation of recovery wells where product is encountered.
• Private drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and MDHHS.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

Planned Work:

• Preparation will begin for excavation and remediation of Tenmile Creek between US 23 and US 223. Strict best management practices will be followed to prevent erosion and protect endangered species habitat.
• Preparations are underway to accommodate treatment of the collected contaminated water.

EGLE

• EGLE issued the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, permit for granulated activated carbon treatment. An access agreement was granted to allow water discharged from the site to travel over private property. property owner, pumping treated water to frac holding tanks. EGLE anticipates the hose installation will be completed today across the private property’s open field to be discharged in White Creek. 
• EGLE plans to drill tow wells to catch and contain diesel on the west side of the site.
• Dredging North Tenmile Creek is necessary to remove any potential diesel that may have sank to the bottom of the creek. The state must issue a permit to dredge before work can begin.

Public Health

• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Monroe County Health Department, and Pilot have sampled 137 private drinking water well locations.
• The health department call center has received additional calls for well sampling. Callers will be contacted for evaluation and potential sampling by the public health department.
• This morning, a reverse 9-1-1 message was sent out to notify residents about the opportunity to schedule sampling of their drinking water wells.
  
  

New Frequently Asked Question

Q:  How long with the work take to complete both on-site and in North Tenmile Creek?

A:  The off-site work in North Tenmile Creek should be completed within a couple weeks. Permits are being secured to ensure work does not impact any habitat for endangered/protected species and that the waterway will provide the correct flow for future storm events. The preparation for this work has not been held up by the permit process and work is anticipated to begin this week.

The duration of the on-site work will be determined by the cleanup plan proposed by Pilot. If the company chooses to remediate as much on-site contamination as possible, the long-term remediation plan and oversight by EPA and/or EGLE will have an extend period of time (months to years). If Pilot chooses to remove all contamination (including tanks, lines, and subsurface utilities), the remediation plan and oversight by EPA and EGLE will be much shorter (weeks to months). EPA and EGLE are in discussions with Pilot and updates will be made available once there is new information.

Daily Site Update
Sunday, April 7, 2024

EPA

• To date, Pilot has recovered 18,091 gallons of diesel: 12,061 gallons were collected from the excavation on Pilot’s property and 6,030 gallons from the mixture of diesel and water in storm sewers. In addition to the pure diesel, the company has collected 487,123 gallons of diesel-impacted water. Diesel and impacted water will be treated and/or disposed of properly.
  • The majority of the pure product collected was recovered from the location where the leak originated on site (excavation area).
  • Pilot has been granted a permit to treat and discharge the diesel-impacted water but has not yet started the treatment (all collected water is being held in tanks). Treated water volumes will be provided in future reporting.

• Storm sewer cleaning with water jets is nearly complete. During the cleaning, sediments and diesel are collected and contained for treatment and/or disposal.
• Boom is being maintained at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, Consear Road, and Yankee Road).
• Contaminated vegetation removal is complete in North Tenmile Creek downstream to Consear Road, and removal continues to the south. Cattail removal in detention pond started today.
• The on-site investigation continued, which includes collection of soil samples, groundwater samples, and installation of recovery wells where product is encountered.
• Drinking water well sampling continues with oversight from MCHD and MDHHS.
• EPA continues to provide oversight and documentation of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways and ensuring the safety of workers.

 Planned Work:

• Preparation continues for excavation and remediation of Tenmile Creek between US 23 and US 223. Estimated to start work on Tuesday.
• EGLE has issued Pilot an NPDES permit to treat the diesel-impacted water, which may start tomorrow.

EGLE

• An access agreement was granted yesterday to allow water discharged from the site to travel over private property. Crews are running hoses today and anticipate discharge of treated water tomorrow.
• Private well water sampling continues by MCHD and MDHHS. Yesterday, 45 wells were sampled. Today’s goal is 50.
  
  

Daily Site Update 
Saturday, April 6, 2024

EPA

• To date, 18,091 gallons of diesel have been collected. The company has collected 449,193 gallons of liquid that includes a mixture of diesel and water. This water will be treated or disposed of properly.
  • The majority of the pure product collected was recovered from the location where the leak originated on-site. This will be documented moving forward by providing separate volumes for excavation-area product and product that migrated to the creek.
  • Starting tomorrow, additional metrics will be reported including gallons of treated water and gallons of treated water discharge via the EGLE approved permit.

• Line jetting operations continue to remove sediment and diesel from the off-site sewer.  Sediment and liquids are being collected and contained for treatment and/or disposal.
• The off-site storm sewer was investigated via camera beginning south of Sunoco running north. All buried manhole structures were located during the investigation.
• Boom is being maintained at six locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, and Yankee Road).
• Contaminated vegetation removal continues along North Tenmile Creek.
• Underground utilities are being located to prepare for drilling and soil sampling on-site.
• The on-site investigation continues, which includes collection of soil samples, groundwater samples, and installation of recovery wells where product is encountered.
• Sampling of drinking water wells continues with oversight from Monroe County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

 Planned Work:

• Preparation will begin to excavate and remediate Tenmile Creek between US 23 and US 223. Strict best management practices will be followed to prevent erosion and protect endangered species habitat.
• Preparations are underway to accommodate treatment of the collected contaminated water.

EGLE

• EGLE has been participating in local emergency operation center coordination calls with Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division throughout the weekend. 
• Language was provided to the Monroe County Health Department regarding the on-site water treatment and discharge plan. 
  
  

*New* Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is karst geology?

A: Karst is a type of landscape that occurs in areas where soluble rock types such as limestone and dolomite are found in the bedrock. Over time as water travels underground, these rock types dissolve which leads to the formation of cracks, fractures, and holes. Some characteristic features of karst landscapes include sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, and springs.

Karst formations can be found in Monroe County. EPA and EGLE have been working with the MCHD and MDHHS to evaluate whether this could be a potential pathway for contaminants, but analytical results to date have not indicated any impact to groundwater as a result of the spill. If residents nearby North Tenmile Creek have springs on their property and notice odors, sheens, or other evidence of oil, please contact EPA or EGLE so that the potential for underground migration can be investigated immediately.

Q: I can see a brown buildup in some areas of the creek, is that oil?

A: Containment measures such as containment booms and underflow dams have been installed on North Tenmile Creek to prevent downstream migration of any sheens released by cleanup activities. While the purpose of these booms is to capture any oil on the surface of the water, other materials such as pollen, algae, sediments, and debris can also collect in front of them over time. One thing that can distinguish the two is that absorbent booms and pads are oleophilic meaning that while they absorb oil and hydrocarbons, they repel water and other materials. If you see buildup in front of a booming location and it is not being absorbed by the pads, it may not be oil. EPA is monitoring the two underflow dams and six containment boom locations on North Tenmile Creek several times per day. If a resident believes they see or smell oil in North Tenmile Creek outside of the work area, please contact EPA or EGLE.

Q: What kind of cleanup is being done on-site?

A: EPA is working with Pilot to ensure all on-site contamination from the spill is cleaned up thoroughly and safely. A plan has been developed to determine the extent of the underground contamination for removal. Under EPA and EGLE oversight, Pilot has already started to perform a full subsurface investigation to determine the extent of contamination.

Daily Site Update
Friday, April 5, 2024

EPA

• To date, 13,796 gallons of diesel have been collected. The company has collected 381,206 gallons of liquid that includes the diesel and a mixture of diesel and water. This water will be treated or disposed of properly.
  • The majority of the pure product collected was recovered from the location where the leak originated on site.

• Storm sewer line jetting operations from the on-site retention pond to North Tenmile Creek continue to remove sediment and diesel from the off-site sewer. Sediment and liquids are being collected and contained for treatment and/or disposal.
• Boom is being maintained at six locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Jeff’s Road, and Yankee Road).
  • Hard boom along Jeff’s Road north of W Sterns Road has been reinstalled.
• Underground utilities are being located to prepare for drilling and soil sampling on-site.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

 Planned Work:

• The storm sewer will be investigated using a camera beginning South of Sunoco running north. This activity will resume after excavation can be completed to expose buried outfalls.
• Preparation will begin for excavation and remediation of North Tenmile Creek between US 23 and US 223. Strict best management practices will be followed to prevent erosion and protect endangered species habitat.

EGLE

• To discharge water collected during the cleanup that has been treated on-site, EGLE issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to allow this treated water to be discharged into a nearby stream. EGLE is currently waiting for access to a nearby property for the drain pipe to carry this water. Hourly surveillance of the pipe will take place once the discharge actions are started.
• The private well water sampling goal is to sample 50 residential wells today. EGLE is in the process of bringing on a second lab to expedite sample analysis.
• EGLE 301/303 permit application expected to be submitted today. Monroe County Drain commission will be on site to supervise the dredging/jetting work once it starts.
• EGLE Emergency Management is in contact with Michigan State Police/Emergency Management Homeland Security Division regarding Monroe County request for a Governor’s Declaration of Emergency for the event

Monroe County Health Department

Monroe County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a press release yesterday announcing that out of an abundance of caution, the county requested Pilot sample every private drinking water well in Whiteford Township. The company has agreed, and sampling will begin today. To have your private drinking water well sampled at no cost, please call the MDHHS hotline at 844-934-1315 to schedule an appointment from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All further updates on private drinking water well sampling will be announced by the county and can be found at the county’s website: healthymonroecounty.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Has the spill been contained?

A: Yes. The line that contained the leak was shut down on March 26. The on-site sewer system has been capped to stop flow off-site. There is no continuing release.

Q: Was the leak coming from an underground storage tank?

A: No, the leak came from a four-inch supply line. That line was shut off upon discovery of the leak and a vacuum truck was set up to remove the product immediately after leaving the pipe. The volume collected from this location is included in the total number of gallons of pure product reported out daily.

Q: Is there still oil migrating to the south of the site in North Tenmile Creek?

A: Two underflow dams have been installed in North Tenmile Creek at the outfall behind the Sunoco gas station on US 223 and near Erie Road to prevent any heavy contamination from moving downstream. These locations will stop the flow of additional oily sheen downstream as the contaminated sediments in North Tenmile Creek are removed. Since EPA arrived on scene, booms have been installed in several locations downstream of these dams to contain any oil sheens that were present prior to the dam installations. These booms are maintained on a regular basis and any oil buildup is removed by a contractor with EPA and EGLE oversight.

Q: Who is overseeing the cleanup of the on-site contamination?

A: EPA and EGLE are on site daily to review plans and ensure that the cleanup is progressing in a safe and orderly fashion.

Q: How long will it take to finish the cleanup?

A: EPA and EGLE are working with Pilot to clean up all off-site contamination as safely and efficiently as possible. A plan for the on-site work is currently under development.

 Q: How will the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit work for the water treated and discharged on-site?

A: The NPDES permit is overseen by EGLE. The on-site requirements will include a weather analysis to ensure drainage ditches will not reach flood capacity, laboratory analysis of the treated water prior to discharge, coordination with the neighbors, and regular assessments of the discharge line throughout the day.

Daily Site Update
Thursday, April 4, 2024

EPA

• Updates and photos can be found on EPA’s website: response.epa.gov/Ottawa_Lake_Diesel
• To date, 12,141 gallons of diesel have been collected. The company has collected 322,222 gallons of liquid that includes the diesel and a mixture of diesel and water. This water will be treated or disposed of properly.

• On-site groundwater monitoring wells were tested.
• Work completed near the trench where the line break occurred:
  • The source of the leak has been identified, leak was repaired and oil is contained.
  • Two recovery wells next to the pipe were tested and still contain diesel. 
  • Pressure test was completed.
  • Six soil samples were collected from the trench.
• Installation of underflow dam in North Tenmile Creek at Erie Street was completed.
• Sewer flushing started to remove sediment and diesel from the offsite sewer. Sediment and liquids are being collected and contained for treatment and/or disposal.
• Boom has been redeployed at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Consear Road, Jeff’s Road, and Yankee Road).
  • Hard boom at location along Jeff’s Road north of W Sterns Road has not yet been replaced due to unsafe water conditions.
• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.

Planned Work:

• Underground utilities will be located to prepare for additional soil sampling later in the week.
• Storm sewer will be investigated using a camera beginning South of Sunoco running north.

EGLE

• Onsite cleanup continues, including:

1. Monitoring wells and recovery wells are being dug to observe the potential extent of diesel under the concrete. Diesel will be collected as it accumulates in recovery wells on-site.
   1. This is in addition to the on-going collection on-site via the storm sewer, on-site retention pond, and excavations near the location where the pipe broke.

• A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) under the Petroleum-Contaminated Wastewater General Permit to be issued to Pilot.
  1. The permit allows for the on-site treatment of collected water from the retention pond at the Pilot station and storm sewer system, and for discharge of the treated diesel-impacted wastewater from site to surface waters.
  2. Wastewater will be double treated to remove contaminants of concern. On-going sampling during treatment/discharge is required.
  3. Discharge location to be roadside ditch (White Drain, this is a county drain) along Samaria Road. Flow is being controlled to prevent downstream flooding.
  4. Treatment and discharge will likely take weeks to ensure it is done in a slow manner.
  5. Plans and the permit application have been reviewed by EGLE Water Resource Division to ensure compliance with all state surface water quality standards.

Monroe County Health Department

• The County of Monroe and the Monroe County Health Department (MCHD) are working with Pilot to expand the testing area to include all of Whiteford Township out of an abundance of caution.
• MCHD is partnering with the state to establish a phone hotline, water sampling appointment system and results tracking and distribution processes.
• MCHD is partnering with EGLE and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to bring additional staff into Monroe County to expand testing capacity.

Background

On March 22, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or EGLE, was notified about an unknown sheen in the Tenmile Creek. On March 26, EGLE requested EPA assistance to identify the source of the diesel fuel, and to help with downstream containment and recovery operations. EPA arrived later that day to begin removing pooled diesel via vacuum trucks into holding tanks.

An investigation identified the source as a leaking diesel fuel line at the Pilot Travel Center located at 6158 New US 223, Ottawa Lake, Michigan. The discharge of diesel flowed into an on-site storm sewer, retention pond, and offsite storm sewer leading into North Tenmile Creek near the southwest corner of the US 23 and US 223 interchange. EPA has placed absorbent boom at the outfall and along the creek to contain and collect remaining diesel.

To date, Pilot, with EPA oversight, has recovered of 11,395 gallons of diesel which will be disposed of at an approved facility. The company has collected 308,351 gallons of liquid that includes the diesel and a mixture of diesel and water.  This water will be treated or disposed of properly.

This week, EGLE and the Monroe County Health Department began sampling nearby private drinking water wells. For more information about this sampling effort, please visit the Monroe County Health Department website.

Daily Site Update
Wednesday, April 3, 2024

EPA

• All updates can be found on EPA’s website: response.epa.gov/Ottawa_Lake_Diesel
• To date, 11,395 gallons of diesel has been collected. The company has collected 308,351 gallons of liquid that includes the diesel and a mixture of diesel and water. This water will be treated or disposed of properly.
• The source of the leak has been identified and the oil is contained.

• EPA continues to provide oversight of all on-site and off-site work in the waterways, ensuring the safety of workers and documenting efforts.
• Boom has been deployed at seven locations along North Tenmile Creek, south of the outfall (Sunoco, Erie Road, Bibb Road, Temperance Road, Consear Road, Jeff’s Road, and Yankee Road).

  EGLE

• The source of the leak source has been identified and a plug/clamp was applied to stop the leak. A pressure test is being conducted to ensure there are no other leaks in the system.
• Preliminary drinking water results for a portion of the samples taken yesterday at private drinking water wells were non-detect.
• The diesel and diesel/water mixture collected is being stored in frac tanks. There was a spike in volume from pumping storm sewer line from pond to Sunoco outfall and from pumping down pond level). Currently in the frac tanks:
  1. Mix: 296,956 gallons
  2. Pure Product = 11,395 gallons
  3. Total = 308,351 gallons
  4. 14 empty frac tanks

   

  Monroe County Health Department

• MCHD and EGLE continue to sample drinking water at homes along Tenmile Creek and at designated non-residential facilities in Whiteford Township. Sampling at these sites is expected to be completed by the end of the day on April 3. Test results are expected within 2 days on April 5.  
• MCHD will respond to any calls or emails from Whiteford Township residents who have concerns regarding their drinking water safety.  Residents can call or email MCHD at 734-240-7900 or eh_frontdesk@monroemi.org to be added to the contact list for further updates. Residents can get updates following the Health Department's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MCHDMichigan/. 
• The County of Monroe and Whiteford Township have established a bulk potable water filling station for residents. The filling station is at the Whiteford Volunteer Fire Department, 9244 Whiteford Center Road, Ottawa Lake7.  Residents must bring their own containers to fill.  Prior to use, residents should boil the water if the transport containers are not considered for potable use.

  
  Planned Site Activities for Today:

• Pilot, with oversight from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, will begin conducting a pressure test on the damaged pipeline to ensure there are not more breaches present along the line.

• Pilot will prioritize cleanup efforts in the first stretches of the north Tenmile Creek from US-23 to Erie Road, which is an ongoing source of pollution due to the heavily impacted sediments. Cleanup efforts will include removing heavily contaminated vegetation, reconfiguring booms, and padding observable sheen areas. An evaluation of the sediments will be evaluated to determine if excavation is required.
• Pilot will install a second underflow dam North of the Erie Road boom deployment location to capture sheen caused by cleanup efforts occurring upstream (in North Tenmile Creek from the underflow dam to US-23 and stretches of North Tenmile Creek from US-23 to Erie Road.

• EGLE and MCDH anticipate 23 drinking-water samples will be collected at residential properties to bring the total to 40 locations.
• EGLE and the MCDH anticipate collecting samples at approximately 15 non-residential properties.

• As soon as the water level in North Tenmile Creek subsides, Pilot will reestablish boom locations at Temperance Road, Consear Road, Jeff’s Road, and Yankee Road. On April 2, a heavy rain event caused the water level in North Tenmile Creek to rise approximately 6 feet. The booms installed south of Bibb Road (Temperance Road, Consear Road, Jeff’s Road, Yankee Road) were overwhelmed by the flow of water and displaced downstream. It was determined that due to safety concerns for personnel, no entries into North Tenmile Creek to reinstall booms at these locations were to be done until water levels subside.

• EPA continues to work with Pilot to develop an on-site removal plan.

  
  Other Past Site Activities

• On March 29, an underflow dam was installed at the outfall of the stormwater sewer line which goes from just downstream of the retention pond on-site, under US-223, and releases to the North Tenmile Creek behind Sunoco gas station (Big Daddy).
• On March 30, the diesel fill line leading from the pump house to the diesel dispenser islands at Pilot was shut down.
• As of April 2, Pilot has prioritized cleanup efforts in North Tenmile Creek from the underflow dam to US-23, which is an ongoing source of sheen due to the heavily impacted sediments. Cleanup efforts include removing heavily contaminated vegetation, reconfiguring booms, and padding observable sheen areas. An evaluation of the sediments in this zone is being evaluated to determine if excavation is required.