U.S. Coast Guard Responds to St. Marys River Oil Spill

The Coast Guard is responding to an oil spill that originated from Algoma Steel in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, June 9, 2022.

The Coast Guard received notification at 10:30 a.m. EST of a 5,300-gallon gear oil spill into the St. Marys River. Initial Coast Guard estimates show a sheen that covers an area from the steel mill all the way to the north side of Sugar Island.

No injuries or deaths have been reported by Algoma Steel. The Coast Guard is requesting all traffic to stay clear of the impacted area. The Coast Guard has established an incident command team to manage the U.S. response efforts.

Captain Anthony Jones, Commander, Sector Sault Sainte Marie said, “We’re working in lock-step with our Canadian, American, and tribal partners to ensure the sanctity of our river.”

Coast Guard pollution responders are monitoring the situation and will coordinate the containment with environmental clean-up organizations.

Anyone with information or reports of oil sheens or oiled wildlife can contact the Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie at (906) 635-3233.