Contact ban recommendation for Flint River remains in place even after oil spill

FLINT, MI – The search for the source of a small oil spill in the Flint River continued Wednesday, June 26, and the Genesee County Health Department continued to recommend staying away from the river in that area.

Lt. Nicholas Preece of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department said investigators believe the river leak, which occurred at a spillway on James P. Cole Boulevard between Merrill and East Wood streets, appears to have stopped.

The film created by the oil spill appeared to be limited to the immediate area and did not extend beyond downtown Flint, Preece said.

The county health department on Wednesday continued to recommend avoiding contact with the river between Hamilton Avenue and Grand Traverse Street, including while fishing and engaging in recreational activities.

Preece said this advisory will likely remain in effect until the contents of the spill are identified and the source of the spill is located.

Flint firefighters and city sewer workers were on site Tuesday, June 25, when word came in about the spill. A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said the oil slick was about 30 feet wide and half a mile long.

Rescue workers deployed booms to prevent the spill from flowing downstream. City and county officials said Wednesday that these measures appeared to have contained the spill.

Preece said no volume estimate had been made but described the spill as a small release.

According to official information, samples from the leak area have been submitted for examination. It appears to be a petroleum-based product.

The oil spill is at least the third incident of its kind on the river this year.

In January, oil booms were deployed in the river after about 50 gallons of oil spilled across from 1401 James P. Cole Blvd.

In April, the city and EGLE also investigated the source of an oil spill discovered in the Flint River at the Whaley Park and Dort Highway outlets on the east side of the river.

In a press release Wednesday, city officials said the oil spill occurred on Tuesday on the west side of the river.