FLINT, Mich.—The spill discovered last Thursday on the Flint River is still contained, and monitoring continues at a storm sewer outfall near the Utah Dam. Officials believe that the flow of contaminants has stopped, but booms remain in place at the outfall while the City awaits results of sampling.
The City of Flint Sewer Division is still tracing the source of the spill. Samples have been taken at several locations in the storm sewer system and the first results could be available late next week. Sampling is ongoing to determine where the substance is still present.
The City of Flint is following the Genesee County Health Department’s lead in recommending no contact with the Flint River in the area of the spill. Other areas of the river are not impacted.
The Genesee County Health Department provided a statement to the City of Flint advising continued precautions: “The Genesee County Health Department recommends no contact with the Flint River at this time, including fishing and recreational activities, from Dort Hwy to Vietnam Veterans Park. Further investigation is ongoing.”
This spill was significantly smaller than the June 2022 Lockhart spill—about 200-300 gallons of material compared to over 5,000 gallons last year. Unlike the Lockhart spill, this material did not migrate to any other areas of the river, and has remained contained near the Utah Dam.
“Any spill into the Flint River is unacceptable,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “Although this spill is not as large as the Lockhart spill last year, we remain vigilant and committed to apprehending the people responsible for this. This volume of material did not get into the river on its own. We are confident that this is the result of human activity, and we are sending out a warning that no illegal dumping of any kind will be tolerated in the city of Flint. Local conservationists have spent decades rehabilitating the Flint River after a long period of negative industrial impact. We will not return to that time of unchecked harm to our environment, which threatens the health of both people and wildlife.”
A petroleum-based substance with an oily sheen was seen flowing from a storm sewer outfall on June 29. The Flint Fire Department and Genesee County hazmat team worked through the night placing booms to clean up the spill. By the morning of June 30, EGLE and Michigan Spill were on the site and the spill was contained.
