Officials: Oil cleaned from Des Plaines River

ROCKDALE -- Wildlife officials say an oil spill along the Des Plaines River in suburban Chicago has been cleaned up.

Edward Karecki is an environmental contaminant specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He said Wednesday there doesn't seem to be any immediate harm to birds or fish from the spill.

About 65,000 gallons of waste oil overflowed from holding pits at a Caterpillar plant in Rockdale early Sunday after a pump failed. Most spilled onto the ground, but about 6,000 gallons ran into the river, where it moved for about nine miles.

The oil sludge has been removed from the river by vacuums, and several inches of affected soil have been removed.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will decide whether Peoria-based Caterpillar will be fined or penalized for the leak.