OSC Lippert responded to an oil release into storm drains and the Silver Creek emanating from the American Sign Company located at 205 W. Alexis Rd. in Toledo, Ohio. The building consists of a dozen garage bays with different businesses operating in each bay. Many of these businesses utilize automotive fluids, mostly oils and have had spills into trenches and catch basins that flow into the city storm sewer and ultimately to Silver Creek.
The release has been on-going since March 9, 2010. The City of Toledo initially responded and placed an adsorbent boom at the discharge point of the storm drain in the creek. On March 10, 2010 EPA region 5 was notified and OSC Lall responded. The property owner was contacted and she mobilized a local contractor to pump out the storm drain and place additional boom.
On March 11, 2010 the storm drain catch basins had again filled with oil. The oil was leaching from the trenches and catch basins in the garage bays. The property owner did not have additional funding and declined to respond further and the OPA fund was opened. Silver creek is a tributary of Ottawa River.
