9/22/10 - Onondaga environmental clean up, Gale Rd boat launch

In the morning of Wednesday, September 22, 2010, the Onondaga Fire Department and the Ingham County Haz Mat Team were called upon for an environmental clean up in the Grand River at the Gale Rd boat launch in Onondaga Township. Sometime over night a stolen box truck was driven into the river at the boat launch, up to 80 gallons of diesel fuel had floated out of the fuel tanks and was now drifting downstream, threatening wildlife and the environment. After assessing the distance the contamination had traveled and the speed of the river's current, several options were considered. Using the Delhi Township Fire Department's rescue boat, a microbial dispersant was sprayed into the contaminated area, which neutralized the fuel.