City of Onaway ferric chloride spill update
On the afternoon of October 18, 2010, the Onaway public works department discovered an underground line meant to deliver ferric chloride acid from the wastewater treatment plant building to the lagoons had been cut.
As much as 9,000 gallons of ferric chloride meant for the lagoons may have entered the ground in front of the treatment building instead. Ferric chloride is pumped into the lagoons to keep phosphorous levels down.
Upon discovering the spill, the city immediately notified the appropriate county, state, and federal pollution reporting agencies. It met with Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) personnel at the site the following morning. At the request of the MDNRE, the city brought in an environmental consultant. That consultant will develop a work plan to submit to the DNRE for consideration.
After that work plan has been approved, the process of determining the parameters of the contamination will begin. Once that has occurred, the clean-up process will begin. Everything likely will move very swiftly.
At this point, it appears that the area affected is directly in front of the treatment plant building, which is isolated in the middle of a large field in the northwest corner of town. The ferric chloride tank has been shut off, preventing any further release of the chemical into the ground. The cause of the broken pipe remains under investigation.
The city will continue to work closely with the DNRE on the testing and clean-up of the site, and will continue to notify the press of its efforts through releases from the city manager.