(WXYZ) — The City of Northville said the demolition of a building on The Downs development property on June 21 led to the release of motor oil and kerosene.
The city said the spill entered the storm drain and that some of it seeped into the river.
According to the city, there is no danger to the public and the fire department is monitoring the situation. Northville emergency services reportedly responded to the site and executed a containment plan. Two booms are now in place in the Rouge River.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the EPA have also been notified, the city says.
According to the city, a private contractor has been called to the site for clean-up and containment efforts.
“I appreciate the response of the Northville Fire Department and the Western Wayne HazMat Team to ensure proper measures were in place to protect the environment,” said Northville City Manager George Lahanas in a press release.
“Clearly it’s contaminating our waterways significantly and it’s something that’s honestly something we’ve never experienced before in our community," said Steve Pichan of Northville.
Steve Pichan says the Rouge River means a lot to him and other residents in Northville and he doesn’t want to see it polluted with oil.
“We have a stream that runs right though one of our parks here locally… it’s an icon within our town," said Pichan.
