St. Marys River oil sheen clean-up finished, source of spill still unknown

UPDATE 7/19/24 1:00 p.m.

SAULT STE. MARIE — Clean-up in the St. Marys River wrapped up Friday, four days after a chemical sheen was found on the river.

GFL Environmental removed the two sets of floating booms around Kemp Marina and the Museum Ship Valley Camp. The total length of the booms was around 300 feet.

Coast Guard officials said mother nature will take care of any remaining traces of sheen. They are still investigating the source of the oily substance.

7/17/24 4:30 p.m.

SAULT STE. MARIE — U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes continues to monitor a likely chemical spill in the St. Marys River.

They are leading the investigation of the oil sheen, discovered around 5 p.m. Monday near the Coast Guard base, the Museum Ship Valley Camp and the George Kemp Marina.

The Coast Guard estimates about 10 gallons of an oily product produced the sheen, and floating booms were placed around the marina and the valley camp as a precaution.

The valley camp is home to four 1,200-gallon aquariums stocked with various species of fish from the Great Lakes region, and the water intake for those aquariums comes from the St. Marys River.

7/16/24 4:30 p.m.

SAULT STE. MARIE — Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes is responding to a pollution incident in the St. Marys River near downtown Sault Ste. Marie along with the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Department and Army Corps of Engineers.

At approx. 5 p.m. on Monday, July 15, Sector Northern Great Lakes received a report of an oily sheen drifting down the St. Marys River. Coast Guard Pollution Responders investigated the scene and discovered an oil sheen near the Coast Guard base as well as around the Museum Ship Valley Camp and the George Kemp Marina.

Pollution responders determined that the pollution consisted of approximately 10 gallons of an unknown oily product. The Coast Guard is leading the response to the oil spill in close collaboration with the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Department and the Army Corps of Engineers. GFL Environmental has been hired to conduct the cleanup.

A floating boom was placed in the water to contain the oil in the affected areas and absorbent materials are being used to recover as much product as possible. The source of the pollution is currently unknown and is under investigation by the Coast Guard.

For more information, contact Lt. Joseph Snyder, Public Affairs Officer, at 906-748-0539 or email joseph.d.snyder@uscg.mil .