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After a diesel spill sparked regional concern last month, Trenton officials are detailing where things stand now that some investigating has been done and is continuing.

The spill brought about a collaborative effort from Trenton officials; the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; the Environmental Protection Agency; and NABA Management, owners of the site, to explore what took place and how it should best be handled so that it is fully resolved.

Their collaborative study determined that an underground storage tank on the property of the former Riverside Hospital facility, 2171 W. Jefferson Ave., released less than 5 gallons of diesel fuel into the Detroit River.

The release point and potential release point to the river have booms in place, have been cleaned and are being closely monitored.

City officials believe the fuel originated from a 15,000-gallon underground storage tank on the property.

The tank was immediately pumped and the contents removed, officials said.

During this initial phase of cleanup, 95,797 gallons of diesel/water were recovered from the tank and stormwater system and 34.21 tons of diesel-saturated soil/vegetation were removed.

“All evidence suggests that the tank leaked an unknown quantity of diesel fuel into the surrounding soil and created an underground “plume” which has migrated into the area storm pipes, infiltrating through pipe seams,” Trenton City Administrator Dean Creech said. “In the coming weeks, boring samples will be taken in the area to try to determine the extent of the plume of contaminated soil.”

The project is being awarded to the first available contractor that is qualified to do the work, officials said.

The tank also will be removed, which was already planned.

The surrounding soil will be excavated to remove whatever is necessary to make certain no further material reaches the river and the site is restored to a safe condition.

According to Creech, city, state and federal response personnel “have been invaluable throughout this process” and continue to closely oversee and monitor the site.

NABA Management has worked with all parties involved and has funded and coordinated all activity at the site to date as promised at the time of the incident.

Back in August, Trenton Mayor Steven Rzeppa said he did not know how much the cleanup would cost since it was not a bill that will be covered by the city, but suspected it would be well into the six-figure range when the issue has been fully resolved.

“The protection of our waterfront and natural resources remains of utmost importance to the city of Trenton and its residents, and we will continue to work with officials at every level to ensure this situation is completely cleaned up and remediated and no further issues may arise,” Creech said.

The incident drew the attention of U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-12th District), who voiced her concerns.

She called it “another alarming pollution event” and said she and her team intend to work with authorities to monitor the situation.

Dingell said she wants to be able to ensure the public has the latest information and the emergency response is successful.

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