Fuel oil spills into Shiawassee County drain after home basement tank collapse

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) office on Adobe Road near Kalamazoo.

(This story has been updated with additional information from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.)

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, MI -- A spill response company and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy are working to contain a 225-gallon fuel oil spill into a county drain that empties into the Shiawassee River in Owosso.

The county Health Department announced the emergency response in a posting on its Facebook page on Thursday, March 2, saying the spill is located on an approximately 1-mile stretch of the Corlett Creek County Drain between the river and Delaney Road.

An EGLE spokeswoman said late Thursday afternoon that the oily sheen has not reached the river and workers have used booms and other methods to contain it.

Health Department officials said initial findings indicate that drinking water supplies in the area, including wells, are not affected by the spill, which is estimated at 225 gallons.

EGLE spokeswoman Jill A. Greenberg said the county Health Department investigated the spill after it was alerted to an oil film in the county drain near North Street on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Greenberg said the spill occurred after the legs of a home heating oil tank failed, spilling the oil into a basement sump pump before discharging into the drain.

The homeowner had recently filled the basement heating oil tank, she said, giving emergency responders a good estimate of how much of the material spilled.

In addition to EGLE and the county Health Department, county emergency management; fire departments from the city of Owosso, Hazelton and Owosso townships; and, the county Drain Commissioner's Office responded to the spill.

EGLE defines a heating oil tank as an aboveground or underground storage tank that stores heating oil that fuels a boiler or furnace to supply heat to a home.

The state recommends quarterly inspection of heating oil tanks in order to scrutinize the fill lines, pipes, filters, sight glass, valves, gauges, and tank supports for any visible signs of rust and decay or dark staining under the tank.

EGLE's website says the owner of a heating oil system that has not been properly maintained will likely be considered liable for a release should the tank or tank system leak.

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Fuel oil spills into Shiawassee County drain after home basement tank collapse