Oil company under fire after shocking incident in US waterway: 'We should be outraged'

Chicago has been dealing with a messy cleanup of its local waterways after a liquid asphalt spill. 

What happened? 

Petroleum Fuel and Terminal Co., an oil company based in the Chicago suburbs, accidentally spilled nearly half a million gallons of liquid asphalt into a canal on the southwest side of the city, according to WBEZ Chicago. 

The spill happened in early 2025, but it's still being resolved. The oil company has been responsible for the cleanup, and the state issued an official notice accusing Petroleum Fuel of violating state environmental laws.

The liquid asphalt was found miles away from the spill location, contaminating the shoreline. Some animals were killed, and others were rescued so they could be cleaned of the substance and rehabilitated before being released back into the wild. 

Why are oil spills concerning?

An oil spill of this size in a major metropolitan city like Chicago could have disastrous consequences. The water in the canal connects to the Des Plaines River and eventually flows out to the Mississippi River.

Officials said that it could take years to fully understand the impacts the spill had on the local environment and wildlife. This is often the case with similar water pollution incidents. 

"We should be outraged that this happened in the first place and that there are not stronger preventative measures in place," said Cameron Davis, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, per WBEZ Chicago. 

What's being done about it?

The Environmental Protection Agency was originally overseeing and enforcing the cleanup initiative, but it failed to penalize Petroleum Fuel or issue any official notices of violation.

However, the organization has requested that Petroleum Fuel monitor the situation for any reemergence of asphalt in the water source. 

While no warnings were issued about contaminated fish, people were already discouraged from eating fish from the canal because of potential exposure to harmful chemicals.

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