OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — A lake in Georgetown Township will be reopened Friday following an oil contamination earlier this month.
The oil was first seen and reported on April 10 when a concerned kayaker called the Ottawa County Parks Commission and said an undetermined amount of oil was on the water and on the shoreline of a lake in the Bend Open Area Space Park. Police say the exact location was just west of the north end of 12th Avenue, north of Taylor Street.
Numerous agencies responded, including Ottawa County Emergency Management, Ottawa County Hazmat Team, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
Due to significant flooding in that area, access to the impacted area was hard to reach. An operator and heavy equipment from a local gravel pit, boats from the Georgetown Township Fire Department and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from the Sheriff's Office were used to survey the area.
As of Thursday, a majority of the oil contamination has been resolved after a clean-up contractor was called in. However, oil staining has been seen on trees and the shoreline as the water has receded.
Investigators found that the oil in the lake was caused by abandoned oil wells that were filled with floodwater. The wells have been secured at this time. Officials say additional funding has been requested to permanently secure them.
The recreation area and lake will be reopened on Friday, April 28. Visitors are encouraged to be mindful of the areas blocked off by orange snow fencing, as there may be residual oil in the area. Fishers should only catch and release out of an abundance of caution.
Officials will be monitoring the area and minor clean-up will continue.
Anyone looking for more information on this oil contamination incident should contact Incident Manager Dave Wierzbicki from EGLE at 616-356-0500 or Ottawa County Director of Emergency Management Lou Hunt at 616-738-4050.
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