Inspectors from the Macomb County Public Works Office are investigating the white, milky substance in the Burr Relief Drain which serves an industrial area in Sterling Heights.
The substance in the drain, which appears to have fully discolored the water in a portion of the drain, was first reported Thursday afternoon to the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality.
Crews have begun the process of installing booms and a curtain to prevent the material from traveling farther downstream, even as the investigation has begun to its original source.
“This is a very troubling image. The water looks just like milk passing by. We cannot, we simply cannot, continue to treat our environment this way,” said Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller. “This drain travels through people’s backyards and ultimately into Lake St Clair. We have zero tolerance for contaminates in our waterways.”