Oil spill cleanup underway at Quarry Trail park

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Visitors to Quarry Trails Metro Park on Mother's Day noticed an oily substance in the water and were greeted with signs that read "no fishing" and "stay out of water."  

Sunday's weather was some of the nicest in central Ohio so far in 2025, and it was the Metro Park's busiest day of the year. 

Jill Snyder, visitor engagement manager with Metro Parks, said the ranger who opened the park Sunday noticed a "black substance" in the water near Millikin Falls. She said park management contacted the Ohio EPA and followed spill protocols immediately. 

"The goal was that we didn't want it to go farther,” Snyder said. “Here at Quarry Trails, we are near, this is Millikan Falls behind me, and Millikan Ditch goes into the Scioto River, and so, we wanted to keep it out of the river as much as possible.” 

That protocol involved contacting the City of Columbus, which then investigates the nature of the spill and where it could have possibly originated. 

"They found a spot where they think that someone dumped some used motor oil into a storm drain, and that's what washed downstream," Snyder said. “Given how far it spread and how much there was, it could be around 30 gallons of oil.” 

Waddles – long snake-like tubes used to soak up oil and other substances in the water -- were then placed in several locations along the stream, including at the bottom of Millikin Falls and subsequently in the stream before it pours into the ponds at Quarry Trails. Until it is clear, the park is asking that no one get into the water for any activities or to fish in the water. 

"We definitely put up a lot of signs in hopes that people do the right thing,” Snyder said. “We had a lot of rangers here, and part of it is just to educate, because most of the time when you see a sign, you don't know, why not? We've got no paddling and no fishing in a few spots and some of that is just to kind of keep it contained until we get it all cleaned up. Nobody wants to be catching a fish or doing anything like that and running into oil, and the biggest challenge is really to the wildlife.” 

Oil spills in water can cause acute toxicity in fish and eggs along with growth defects if exposed for a period of time. Snyder wants to use this as an educational opportunity to show what can happen if chemicals and toxic substances aren't disposed of properly. 

"People don't understand that those storm drains and what we often call the gutter or the sewer in our neighborhoods, those don't go somewhere to get cleaned up. They come right here," she said. 

According to the EPA, negligent dumping of materials like oil into waterways can lead to Federal crimes resulting in a minimum fine of $2,500.