MANISTEE, Mich. — The United States Coast Guard says it ended the response to a diesel spill on Lake Michigan and no further action is needed.
The Unified Command, which includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the responsible party, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Manistee County Emergency Management, Benzie County Emergency Management, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee and Benzie County Sheriff’s Offices and the city of Manistee, stood down Friday at 6 p.m.
The agencies started cleaning up the diesel spill on Lake Michigan Wednesday afternoon near the Manistee River.
The Coast Guard says it got the initial call around 3 p.m. Wednesday from the “Manitowoc” freighter.
READ MORE: Diesel spill cleanup continues on Lake Michigan
The vessel successfully completed its transit from Manistee to Muskegon Friday, which is where it’s scheduled to complete permanent repairs.
“The total amount of diesel discharged remains unknown. However, based on the observable sheen size and thickness, size of the tank penetration, estimated duration of the discharge and lack of recoverable product in the water, it is likely the amount discharged was minimal,” U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Heather Stemmerman said. “Efforts to ascertain the total quantity of diesel discharged are ongoing.”
The shoreline assessment teams completed a 13-mile survey of the shoreline and beaches and did not detect any evidence of recoverable product.
“Through the seamless coordination of dedicated personnel and strategic utilization of response equipment, the team exhibited professionalism and proficiency to swiftly secure the source of the discharge and eliminate the threat to the delicate ecosystem of Lake Michigan,” U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Seth Parker added.
The Coast Guard says there are no known impacts to marine wildlife because of the spill.
