Report: Water Safe Around Detroit River Spill

The release of crushed limestone happened Nov. 26, when part of a seawall collapsed.

Detroit River Istock 5dea7e3f48833
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DETROIT (AP) — Tests performed near where construction aggregate material spilled into the Detroit River have found the water meets all quality standards, Michigan officials announced Wednesday.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said samples were taken upstream and downstream from the Detroit Bulk Storage site, as well as in front of the property in southwestern Detroit. The agency said contaminant levels were not detectable or well below water quality standards.

The release of crushed limestone happened Nov. 26, when part of a seawall collapsed. State officials didn't learn about it until last week, though they have said the company wasn't required to report it because the aggregate is not a hazardous material.

Departmental officials said The Great Lakes Water Authority and city of Wyandotte, which have drinking water intakes several miles downstream, are conducting their own water tests.

Previous tests performed by the state turned up no indication of excessive radiation levels.

The site formerly was occupied by the Revere Copper and Brass Corp., which produced uranium materials in the 1940s and '50s. That company was a subcontractor for the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb during World War II, according to U.S. Department of Energy documents.

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