PORTAGE, Wis. — As butter that spilled as a result of a fire at a Portage dairy processing facility earlier this week continues to move through the city’s wastewater system, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said environmental impacts of the spill have remained minimal.
The fire at Associated Milk Producers, Inc. on Monday led to around 20 gallons of butter getting into the Portage Canal nearby, the DNR said in an update Thursday.
Most of the butter ended up in the sanitary sewer system and went to the wastewater treatment plant, the agency said; what butter that did end up in the canal has since been removed.
“Wastewater plant personnel have been clearing butter out of the plant since the incident,” the DNR said. “The treatment plant has operated effectively without disruption, though some temporary exceedances are anticipated.”
The large volume of water that firefighters used to battle the blaze helped clear out the storm sewers in the area.
RELATED: Over 100K gallons of water used to fight fire at Portage dairy plant
All of the employees inside the plant at the time the fire broke out were able to escape without injury. Officials are still investigating what caused the fire.
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