GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Responding parties are standing down after a cargo vessel spilled diesel fuel in Lake Michigan earlier this week, the U.S. Coast Guard reports.
They stood down at 6 p.m. Friday.
No visible sheen could be seen on the lake, and a 13-mile survey of the shoreline and beaches did not find any evidence of recoverable product, the Coast Guard said.
“We appreciate the collaborative efforts of state, local, and tribal agencies, which swiftly and efficiently addressed and continue to monitor the situation,” Capt. Seth Parker, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Lake Michigan Sector, said in a press release. “The success of this operation underscores the importance of interagency coordination and our shared commitment to safeguarding our natural resources.”
A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft conducted an overflight that confirmed no visible sheen on Lake Michigan on Aug. 4, 2023, after a cargo vessel leaked diesel fuel. (Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard. 
A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft conducted an overflight that confirmed no visible sheen on Lake Michigan on Aug. 4, 2023, after a cargo vessel leaked diesel fuel. (Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard. 
A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft conducted an overflight that confirmed no visible sheen on Lake Michigan on Aug. 4, 2023, after a cargo vessel leaked diesel fuel. (Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard. A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft conducted an overflight that confirmed no visible sheen on Lake Michigan on Aug. 4, 2023, after a cargo vessel leaked diesel fuel. (Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard. 
A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft conducted an overflight that confirmed no visible sheen on Lake Michigan on Aug. 4, 2023, after a cargo vessel leaked diesel fuel. (Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard. 
A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft conducted an overflight that confirmed no visible sheen on Lake Michigan on Aug. 4, 2023, after a cargo vessel leaked diesel fuel. (Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.
The leak was first noticed around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday by crews on the M/V Manitowoc. The vessel was located about 1.5 miles offshore near Manistee’s Fifth Avenue Beach.
Parker said the leak was initially reported as the result of a possible 1-inch hole but said the Coast Guard has not validated that number and is still investigating.
“(The Manitowoc) had a hole in one or more of its fuel tanks,” Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy spokesman Hugh McDiarmid told News 8 Thursday. “The vessel has plugged the hole, has shifted fuel around in the fuel tanks immediately to stop the release. So the release has not been ongoing for some time.”
The U.S. Coast Guard said a red slick around 1.6 miles long by 200 yards wide was seen within a few hours of the initial report. Four hundred feet of absorbent booms were put into the water to soak up the fuel.
In a Friday statement, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Heather Stemmerman, public information officer, said they were still working to determine exactly how much diesel was spilled, but it was likely “minimal.”
There have been no reports of an impact along the shoreline or impacts to marine wildlife.
The Coast Guard said Friday the Manitowoc has successfully reached Muskegon and will complete permanent repairs there.
