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On Saturday, May 22, 2004, EPA received notification that a sheen was observed on the Rouge River. START was deployed to Severstal WWTP to observe boom that was placed in the river on Thursday, May 20, 2004. The Severstal boom was washed-out due to extremely heavy rains in the area. In addition, a larger oil sheen with tar/petroleum odor was visible under the Schaefer Street Bridge, Dix Street Bridge, and Fort Street Bridge, but was not seen at the Greenfield Street Bridge (which is north/upstream of the Severstal WWTP). START met with the USCG and verified the sheen seen at Dix Street was the same sheen seen at Schaefer Street. The sheens were identical and flowing consistently. USEPA arrived and met with START and a representative of the Severstal WWTP. All parties observed a small sheen passing through the system into the Rouge River.
OSC Gulch directed Severstal WWTP to mobilize their emergency response contractor (Youngs Environmental) to the WWTP to place more absorbent boom in between the outfall baffles and to recover sheen on the Rouge River. Severstal agreed to place more absorbent boom at their outfall, but declined from doing any type of recovery on the Rouge River. The OSC mobilized a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) contractor (Marine Pollution Control) to the site to investigate other potential sheen sources.
ERRS, EPA, MDEQ, and START observed the Rouge River by boat and discovered that the sheen was originating upstream from the Severstal WWTP outfall. The biological/petroleum sheen appeared to be intermittently discharging from the bottom of the Rouge River. This biological/petroleum The BOA contractor personnel were unable to absorb any of the sheen with oil absorbent boom. A sheen sample was collected utilizing a United States Coast Guard (USCG) sheen sampling kit and will be sent to the USCG Marine Safety Laboratory for analysis.
OSC Justice and START drove north along Greenfield Street to identify those company’s along the Rouge River and verify their discharges. They were closed but contact information was provided by security.
On Sunday, May 23, 2004, START mobilized to the site. Sheen was still visible at the Schaefer Street and Dix Street bridges. The amount of sheen was greatly reduced and the river was flowing slower. The sheen at Fort Street Bridge was minimal.
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