By Graham Sturgeon, staff writer
Shiawassee County Health Department Director Larry Johnson spoke during the Tuesday, Dec. 1, MTA meeting at the Caledonia Township Hall about the status of the ongoing cleanup effort of the Miner Drain oil contamination that was discovered by a hunter Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 26.
Johnson said that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the cause of the spill and is funding the cleanup effort. Roughly 300 gallons of oil were discharged, the source of which was still unknown.
Luckily, the spill was contained and kept out of the Shiawassee River. Johnson credited the first responders, Shiawassee County Emergency Management Coordinator Rich Warner, the Owosso Township Fire Department, the Department of Environmental Quality and Shiawassee County Commissioner Jeff Bartz, with containing the contamination.
A roughly three-mile stretch of the county drain in Owosso Township was affected by the discharge.
