To report oil sheening, asphalt material in the canal, or wildlife that may have been harmed, call 708-788-1611 or visit www.pfterminals.com.
Updates
Joint Information Center Update: 5/30/25
Air monitoring continues to show no exceedances.
Responders have removed and disposed of more than 750 tons of
material from the canal since May 13. This includes approximately 726 tons
removed by barge near the initial spill site and approximately 27 tons collected
by boat crews along the canal.
A team from Wildlife Response Services has installed Mylar
strands to deter wildlife from congregating in collection areas. Teams from
Tri-State Bird Rescue are on-scene to find and collect oiled or deceased
wildlife.
Joint Information Center Update: 5/27/25
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The following responding agencies are coordinating as part of Unified Command:
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- U.S. EPA
- Illinois EPA
- Petroleum Fuel & Terminal
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Boom has been placed further downstream to the confluence of the canal and the Des Plaines River (near Mile Marker 290). This brings the total amount of boom deployed in the canal to 13,700 feet.
Air monitoring continues to show no exceedances.
As of May 23, approximately 213 tons of material has been removed and disposed since May 13.
Joint Information Center Update: 5/23/25
Containment and removal work continues along the canal between
the original spill site and the Lockport Powerhouse, stretching about 23 miles
down the canal. Night operations monitor the original spill site for any
potential emergence of uncontained floating product. Thirty-four boats, 2
barges and 2 excavators are working in the canal. Mariners are reminded to use
caution around response boats, barges and booms.
Air monitoring continues to show no exceedances.
Product is removed two ways: manually and mechanically. Manual
recovery is when responders collect smaller pieces of asphalt by hand.
Mechanical recovery involves the use of excavators on barges to pull larger,
heavier patches of asphalt from the canal.
Manually-recovered asphalt is loaded into special bags which can
hold one cubic yard of material. Mechanically recovered asphalt is loaded into
large metal containers, commonly called “roll-offs.” All asphalt is transported
to licensed waste recovery facilities for disposal.
Joint Information Center Update: 5/21/25
This update was prepared by members of the joint information center, including EPA, Illinois EPA (IEPA), and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Containment and recovery has extended to the Lockport Powerhouse (near Mile Marker 291).
Crews continue to use a barge and excavator to lift material from the bottom of the canal around the point of the spill. Crews deployed absorbent boom around the work area to collect oil sheen that may appear after disrupting material at the bottom of the canal. Hard boom remains in place.
Wildlife specialists are on-site and part of the response. They are deterring wildlife from recovery areas, rehabilitating wildlife potentially harmed by the product, and collecting deceased wildlife related to the spill.
By the numbers:
- A total of 90 cubic yards of asphalt waste were manually removed Monday and Tuesday.
- 6 additional dumpsters have been filled and are waiting to be disposed.
- 18 boats, 2 excavators, and 2 barges are on-site for asphalt recovery operations.
- 6,100 feet of boom has been deployed to contain asphalt material on the canal.
Joint Information Center Update: 5/19/25
Prepared by members of the
joint information center,
including U.S. EPA, Illinois EPA, and Coast Guard.
- Additional boom was set up today to contain asphalt material
found near Lockport Lock & Dam on the canal (near Mile Marker 292).
- A barge and excavator are performing gross subsurface delineation near where the spill initially occurred. The excavator on the barge picks up material
on the bottom of the canal to verify if asphalt material is present.
- A new staging area was
established on the south bank of the canal between the Route 171 and Interstate
55 bridges (nearest Mile Marker 313). Expect increased vessel activity in this
area. The Coast Guard will continue to post notices to mariners on its website
to caution around all booms, boats, and barges.
- Air monitoring continues.
There have been no actionable changes to air quality in the site work area.
By the numbers:
- Asphalt material recovered: approximately 240 cubic yards of material has been collected.
- 18 vessels are in use on the canal to identify, contain, and remove the tar-like substance from the canal.
- A barge with an excavator is on the canal to mechanically remove larger pieces of asphalt material too large to be recovered by hand.
- 11 dumpsters have been
filled and waiting to be disposed.
- Agencies are coordinating to manage wildlife and keep away from the site.
Update 5/17/25
Containment and cleanup work continues in the canal and
along the shoreline. There is no impact to drinking water. EPA is conducting air monitoring in the area and have not detected changes to air quality related to the spill. The canal remains
open to vessels, and boat operators are reminded to heed the Coast Guard’s Notice
to Mariners and to use caution in the vicinity of cleanup crews, vessels and
containment booms. Booms are placed along the canal from the vicinity of Mile
Marker 315 to east of Willow Springs Road, near Mile Marker 308.
By the numbers:
- Approximately
79 people are working this incident.
- 18 vessels
are in use on the canal. Responders are using boats to identify, contain,
and remove the tar-like substance from the canal. Barges are used to
assist with mechanical removal of larger patches and the staging and
transportation of recovered material.
- Responders
have removed more than 7.3 tons of material since May 12.
Update 5/15/25
On May 12, 2025, a facility along the Chicago Sanitary and
Ship Canal discovered a thick, tar-like substance in the canal near Bedford
Park, Illinois. Later that day, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency arrived
on-scene to assess and identify the reported product. Through ongoing shoreline
assessments, EPA has observed asphalt material floating along the shoreline and
in patches throughout the canal. Drinking water is not threatened as no
drinking water intakes are in the area.
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a notice to mariners
advising vessels to use caution in the area. A containment boom (a temporary
floating barrier) will span the width of the canal near Mile Marker 315.
Vessels should contact (219)
713-3460 30 minutes prior to transiting
the area to allow the boom to be moved.
EPA’s assessment traced the source of the product to the Petroleum
Fuel and Terminal (PF&T) asphalt terminal facility in Forest View,
Illinois, upstream of the initial reported location.
EPA contacted PF&T and directed them to initiate cleanup
actions. These actions include the deployment of approximately 2,200 feet of
containment boom and removing asphalt material from impacted areas.
EPA is coordinating with the Coast Guard, U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department
of Natural Resources, the Village of Forest View, and the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District.
- Drinking water is not impacted.
- The canal remains open to ships but with warnings.
- Under EPA oversight, PF&T has installed containment boom around the spill location, along the shoreline, and downriver to prevent any additional product from impacting the waterway.
- Over the next few weeks, the responsible party will continue to remove all contained and discovered asphalt from the canal.
Background:
On February 4, 2025, a mystery sheen was reported on the Chicago
Sanitary and Ship Canal. Investigations discovered a heated pressure valve pipe
connected to an aboveground storage tank failed at the Petroleum Fuel and
Terminal's asphalt facility. This caused a discharge of about 6,000 barrels of
asphalt. Initial estimates by the facility indicated that 1,000 barrels reached
the CSSC. EPA oversaw the facility's efforts to recover the observed spilled
asphalt material in and around the canal. The facility recovered approximately
293 tons of product from February to early April. The response is
ongoing and the total amount of asphalt that discharged into the CSSC has yet
to be determined by EPA.
