BUFFALO — Neighbors say a growing spill in the Buffalo River near the South Ogden Street Bridge is getting worse, and Common Councilmember Bryan Bollman says the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) believes the substance in the water is petroleum.
A petroleum pipeline runs right along the river. A government map shows a hazardous liquid pipeline in the area, and I spotted signs marking the pipeline right next to the bridge.
Neighbor Jim Duerr was among those raising concerns about the spill.
"It's got rainbow colors out there, and it's escalating. It's getting worse," Jim Duerr said.
"We want to know where this is coming from, and we want transparency," Duerr said.
On Monday, I went down to the riverbank with Duerr and observed a sheen on the water. By Thursday, the spill had grown much worse, and there was also a strong chemical odor in the air.
"I think we need some political involvement here. Get down here, really take a look," Duerr said.
PREVIOUS: 'We want to know if it's safe': Neighbors concerned about oily sheen on Buffalo River
I reached out to the DEC and to city leaders. Bollman met me on the bridge.
"I'm not sure what it is. I will be reaching out to the DEC to see if they've tested this, but certainly a smell in the air and very visible in the water, oily type substance," Bollman said.
"We need to know what this is," Bollman said.
Shortly after, Bollman called with answers. He said the DEC told him it believes the substance is petroleum. As for the chemical odor, Bollman said he was told it is probably unrelated to the spill — likely coming from a green waste site nearby.
A crew with T and R Environmental, contracted by the DEC, has been deployed to contain the spill and find its origin. They have been working at multiple locations along the river since residents first contacted the DEC on October 4, putting in booms and kayaking the area to search for the source of the leak.
A new boom — much larger than the ones used earlier this week — was laid out right under the bridge and across the river as crews continued their work.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
