Flint River’s no-contact order still in effect as cleanup efforts continue after spill

FLINT, Mich. (WNEM) – An order prohibiting all contact with the Flint River remains in effect as cleanup efforts continue.

It’s been nearly three months since a chemical spill in the Flint River prompted the Genesee County Health Department to issue a no-contact order.

Jill Greenberg, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), says cleanup efforts are underway.

“It’s going to take a while,” Greenberg said. “It is complicated.”

Greenberg talks about the status of the investigation into the Lockhart Chemical Flint River spill that happened in June. Greenberg said cleanup efforts are ongoing.

“We collected 69,000 gallons of used oil from the site, from Lockhart,” Greenberg said. “And nearly 20,000 gallons of waste oil from the outfall flowing into the river.”

Greenberg also said there was a small waste oil spill at the outlet.

She said he was monitored daily and vacuumed if necessary.

“We have booms that contain that in the region,” Greenberg said. “But overall, with all of that waste oil being disposed of, we think it’s been isolated.”

Given this, the Flint River is still closed to the public from Stepping Stone Falls to Leith Street in Genesee County.

The Genesee County Health Department says reopening the waterway depends on cleanup efforts and test results.

A leak in Lockhart Chemical’s secondary containment system that allowed liquid waste to enter the ground and exit through a storm drain into the river caused the oily mess.

“We have engineers and EGLE members working with Lockhart to understand what happened and what can be put in place to prevent it from happening again,” Greenberg said. “So this is all part of the investigation and certainly a priority moving forward.”

Lockhart Chemical has resumed operations under an amended cease and desist order from the City of Flint.

The company is not permitted to discharge the liquid waste contained in its on-site fracking tanks into the city’s sewer system.

EGLE gave Lockhart an August 26 deadline with a list of requested information, but the company was given an extension until September 8.

The company provided a response by that date, but it is under review.

EGLE also gave the company a Friday deadline for updates, including plans to repair compromised pipes and on-site stormwater management.

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