July 6, 2004

The Michigan Department of Community Health has released a Public Health Consultation regarding the Imperial Oil chemical release into the St. Clair River. The consultation finds that the release posed no public health hazard.

Imperial Oil is located in Sarnia, Ontario, across the St. Clair River from Michigan, approximately halfway between Port Huron and Marysville. On February 1, 2004, the company accidentally released roughly 42,000 gallons of a mixture of methyl ethyl ketone and methyl isobutyl ketone into the St. Clair River.

The State Emergency Operation Center coordinated the state’s response to the release, involving the Departments of Environmental Quality and Community Health. Drinking water advisories were issued to communities that could have been impacted, and water samples were tested for the presence of the chemicals.

The chemicals were not detected in the samples. It is unlikely there were any public drinking water related health risks. The public may view the health consultation at www.michigan.gov/mdch-toxics. Any questions may be directed to Christina Bush in the Division of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology at 1-800-648-6942 or bushcr@michigan.gov.

The Michigan Department of Community Health Division of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology conducted the Public Health Consultation on the Imperial Oil Chemical Release under a cooperative agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Information concerning the human health effects of exposure to environmental contaminants such as methyl ethyl ketone and methyl isobutyl ketone can be found on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) web page at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html.