Village to Resident: $38K Bill for Oil Spill into Lake Michigan

After last week's oil spill into Lake Michigan, the Village of Winnetka calculated costs for the clean-up at $25,000.

In the past few days, the number has risen to at least $38,000, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Earlier:

"Winnetka is seeking at least $38,000 from a resident whose contractor ruptured an underground heating oil tank, sending the contaminant into Lake Michigan through the village’s storm sewer and causing two beaches to close," the Chicago Tribune reports.

Steve Saunders, the public works director, said that the village is brainstorming ways to get rid of the oil.

Saunders also said that talks with the homeowner have begun as they work through the "spiller pays" ordinance that requires the homeowner to pay for the costs and wages of clean-up.