Tim Allen
'Tis the season for Leelanau drama.
Capturing headlines in the peninsula where the well-off and others flock for summer vacation is Michigan funnyman Tim Allen, who forced the shutdown of Northport Marina late Sunday afternoon when his yacht reportedly began "spewing diesel fuel."
Not so funny, say residents and visitors, who blame the spill for not only closing the marina for a day but killing ducklings and fish. From the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
Visitor Helena Marano was concerned about the wildlife, as she saw several dead ducklings, carp and pike in the marina, and tried to wash off a duckling covered in fuel.
“It died in our hands,” Marano said.
Northport's harbormaster estimates that roughly 30 gallons of diesel fuel leaked, adding that while it may not sound like a lot, the oily fluid tends to spread quickly.
Cleanup was underway Monday. By afternoon, firefighters had reportedly used 1,000 oil absorbent pads to lift the spill. The actor-comedian will have to cover cleanup costs, Leelanau Township's fire chief tells the paper.
Allen, for his part, claims only about 11 gallons of fuel leaked and that the wildlife was unaffected. He says he feels bad about the rest.
“I felt very uncomfortable closing the harbor down for everybody,” Allen said. “But we’re going to get it open.”
The village-owned marina reopened about 26 hours after the holiday weekend spill, according to the harbormaster.
