Copyright M Live Michigan
PARADISE, MI — A yellow plastic barrel labeled “hazardous material” triggered an emergency response at Whitefish Point. Authorities taped-off part of the Lake Superior shoreline on Monday, Oct. 13 last week after a caller reported the barrel to the state pollution hotline. The U.S. Coast Guard removed it two days later. “They contacted a cleanup crew. The crew came, put that bucket in a containment barrel and the next day a marine pollution response agency came and picked that barrel up and removed it,” said Chippewa County emergency manager Greg Postma. Authorities haven’t said exactly what’s in the barrel, only that test results are pending. A photo of the barrel posted on Redditt last week before responders arrived showed it half buried in the shoreline wrapped inside a yellow bag labeled “may contain hazardous material.” The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) said no material was released to the water or soil. The barrel’s origin is unknown. The U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to requests for more information. Whitefish Point on Lake Superior’s southeastern shore marks a critical turning point where commercial ships navigate between the open lake and the protected waters of Whitefish Bay. The Seney National Wildlife Refuge manages 55 acres at the point as protected habitat for migratory birds.
