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Motorist spills 250 gallons of oil on Alpena County highway

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Michigan State Police

Two-hundred and fifty gallons of used motor oil recently spilled onto a state highway in Alpena County.

Police say a man driving a 1995 Chevy truck made a left hand turn onto M-32 when the straps holding down the 250 gallons of used motor oil snapped and spilled the liquid onto the road.

The 35-year-old man was cited for an unsecured load by the Michigan State Police.

First responders from the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and the Green Township Fire Department helped control the scene.

Lieutenant Dereck Carroll, public information officer with the Michigan State Police in Gaylord said it is unclear when cleanup will begin.

"Usually in these types of situations, we have hazmat crews in the county that the emergency managers oversee and the fire departments they'll respond and they'll be notified the cleanup will begin," said Carroll 

Officials say the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will access the spill to determine possible environmental damage. The spill didn't take place near any bodies of water.

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Rick Brewer has been news director at WCMU since February 2024.