It turns out a barge that sunk decades ago in Lake Erie is leaking additives for gasoline.
Testing on water samples, taken recently from the wreck of the Argo south of Kelley's Island, reveal benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene; a mixture commonly referred to as BTEX.
A spokesman at the Information Centre for Lake Erie Argo Response, Thomas McKenzie says the additives pose no health or environmental risk.
"Any water surface area that has a lot of waves or wind, they evaporate immediately. The most you would smell is like a sweet gas aroma," he says. "There are no breeding grounds in that area, and we haven't had any reports back of any impact to wildlife."
Right now, McKenzie says the centre is looking for a barge equipped to remove the additives.
Divers discovered the leak last month, but McKenzie says it's difficult to gauge how long the cleanup will take since it depends on weather conditions on the lake.
"Salvage operations are very methodical. They're very step-by-step and safety first. This will get done when it gets done, and done right."
The Argo sank in 1937.