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"It was a mess for many hours," said Metamora Police Chief Walt Sierakowski. "It was like frying pan oil, but not toxic."

Problems began about 11 a.m. after a transformer fell off a DTE Energy truck, said Sierakowski.

"The driver had to slam on his brakes, and that caused a tie to break," Sierakowski said. "The transformer fell off the truck and into the road at M-24 and Pratt Road. It cracked open and the liquid inside it spilled out."

Traffic was routed into the turn lane around the clean-up and it backed up during rush hour. Many passing motorists thought the spill was toxic and phoned The County Press. The liquid wasn't environmentally dangerous, but drivers saw a contractor at work known for its expertise in cleaning up dangerous material.

"This was a new transformer for a commercial business, so it was large," said DTE spokesman John Austerberry. "It didn't contain hazardous material. It was filled with a material similar to mineral oil, and not hazardous to the environment. We used a vacuum truck to pick up as much as we could, as fast as we could."

When that was completed, the contractor applied an oil absorber and removed the debris with a street sweeper.

"That took until about 9:30 p.m.," Austerberry said. "We moved the transformer to a Park and Ride and another truck loaded it up about 11:30 p.m."

Susan Younger may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8122 or susan.younger@lapeergroup.com