MARCH 25, 2015
ELSMERE, DELAWARE
Environmental crews are investigating an oil spill in Little
Mill Creek south of Elsmere.
The oil filtered into the creek from a storm drain, said
Matthew Higgins, a state environmental scientist.
The creek drains a watershed that stretches to Greenville,
eventually winding through Canby Park and paralleling an industrial park off
Del. 4 on Germay Drive before emptying into the Christina River.
Following an all-day clean-up Tuesday, the Delaware Department
of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's work is now considered
"maintenance," Higgins said. He could not disclose where the oil came
from, only that it was from upstream.
The smell of petroleum filled the air as the team removed
debris and laid out additional oil absorption pads for the tail-end of the
clean-up in the wooded area close to Prayer and Praise Power Ministries
Wednesday evening. The oil did not get absorbed into the bottom of the creek or
its rocky beds, he said.
"It's much improved," Higgins said.
The incident was unrelated to last week's oil spill in the
Delaware River after a cargo ship dumped about 100 gallons into the waterway,
he said.
Nathan Harlan, who works at nearby Pike Creek Coffee on
Germay Drive, was shocked there had been an incident.
"I think it's horrible," Harlan, an environmental
science major at the University of Delaware said. "The Delaware Watershed
and Chesapeake Watershed are already recovering from decades of maltreatment
... this isn't really helping."
Reporter Jeff Montgomery contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.delawareonline.com