400 gallons of oil spilled into Menomonee River in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Crews with Wisconsin manufacturing company Komatsu are working to clean up an oil spill on the Menomonee River in Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said in a statement that Komatsu, a company based in Japan, spilled 400 gallons of oil into a storm sewer drain at its facility in Milwaukee last week.

Komatsu called the spill a “very regrettable accident.” The company said in a statement that staff initially thought the spill was small, but realized in recent days that it was larger.

Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn said the Milwaukee Riverkeeper organization is concerned about the speed and efficiency of Komatsu’s cleanup efforts as well as the long-term effects of the oil in the water, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

“We’ve been, in general, frustrated at the slow response,” Nenn told the Sentinel.

Most of the oil will likely sink to the bottom of the lake, Nenn said, where it can have a “significant effect” on the insects and plants that live there.

“We are really concerned about long-term impacts of this to water quality and also aquatic life. It seems likely that very little of this oil is going to be recovered at this point,” she added.

A sheen of oil has been spotted at several places on both the Menomonee and Milwaukee rivers, according to the Milwaukee Riverkeeper, an organization that advocates for water protection.

Komatsu is trying to clean up the spill by cleaning the storm sewer and placing absorbent booms on the Menomonee River. It has also employed a boat and vacuum truck to remove oil.