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A semi-truck lost control on Highway 61 near Little Marais, MN and rolled into a ditch on Tuesday afternoon.
An estimated 75-80 gallons of diesel fuel leaked into a ditch. Some of this fuel then traveled 1,000 feet to Lake Superior via a natural stormwater channel.
Within two hours of the spill, crews from MPCA had blocked the diesel from moving down the ditch with absorbent booms. Cleanup crews also placed absorbent materials across a drainage inlet and along the shore of Lake Superior.
No recoverable amounts of fuel accumulated in the lake other than in some eddies created by rock formations along the shore. However, Tuesday evening there were fuel odors and a petroleum sheen on rocks and in water along 1,350 feet of shoreline.
Crews will continue to monitor the site and mop up any small accumulations they find for the next few days. Residents in the area were notified of the spill and were advised to avoid areas where there is an odor and/or sheen on the water or shore.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency responds to hundreds of clean-ups in MN each year. In 2012, the Minnesota Duty Office sent over 2,700 notifications of polluting incidents to the MPCA.
MPCA Emergency Response
pca.state.mn.us
To learn more about the MPCA's emergency response team, visit our website.
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