Excerpt: "Environmental Protection Agency officials say they believe local drinking water is safe despite thousands of gallons of diesel fuel spilling into the Ohio River late Monday."



Cincinnati-area resident Heather Diefenbach snapped this photo of a possible oil sheen on the Ohio River. (photo: Heather Diefenbach)

Duke Energy Spills 8,000 Gallons of Diesel Into Ohio River

By Maxim Alter and Jesse Folk, WCPO Cincinnati

nvironmental Protection Agency officials say they believe local drinking water is safe despite thousands of gallons of diesel fuel spilling into the Ohio River late Monday.

EPA and Coast Guard officials estimated about 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of the fuel spilled during a routine transfer at Duke Energy's W.C. Beckjord Station in New Richmond, about 20 miles southeast but upstream of Cincinnati.

The spill was discovered at about 11:15 p.m. Monday, according to Duke Energy officials. Crews were able to stop the release by 11:30 p.m.

“The diesel fuel, which is a reddish color, appears to be along the Ohio side of the river in small pockets,” EPA On-Scene Coordinator Steven Renninger said. “The biggest pocket is several miles downstream.”

Renninger said the 5,000 to 8,000-gallon count is just an estimate and could change.

"Could be more, could be less," he said.

Tony Parrott, head of Greater Cincinnati Water Works, said the department was notified of the spill just after midnight.

Parrott said crews shut down the Ohio River intakes quickly so the spill was not taken in. He said the fuel reached Water Works at about 7 a.m.

Parrot said the department’s reserves were near capacity when intakes were closed, meaning Water Works can operate this way for an extended period of time. Officials said they expect to keep intakes closed for as long as it takes for the spill to completely pass.

Parrott said the agency does have the capacity to feed active carbon into the water supply if they are forced to open the intakes before the spill passes.

The Clermont County Water Resources Department also implemented a contingency plan in response to the spill. Officials there said they shut down wells in the Pierce-Union-Batavia area with the most potential to be affected.

Lyle Bloom, director of Utilities at the department, said the agency is operating only wells that have no potential to be impacted by the spill.

“This is a precautionary measure,” Bloom said. “We do not expect the well field to be impacted by the diesel spill. The diesel fuel will remain along the water surface and should not adversely impact the aquifer.”

Duke Energy officials said the Coast Guard closed 15 miles of the river early Tuesday, and Duke notified agencies as far south as Louisville to prepare for the spill.

“We notified state and local authorities of the incident and have been working with them throughout the overnight hours,” said Chuck Whitlock, Duke Energy president of Midwest Commercial Generation and vice president of gas operations. “We have cleanup crews on site that are identifying the appropriate actions that will be needed to remediate.”

The Coast Guard has established a safety zone on the river to examine the spill and launch cleanup operations.

Air monitoring and shoreline assessment teams are also in place.

Renninger said Duke Energy has assumed responsibility for the spill and are working closely with several organizations to remove diesel from the river.

He said crews have dispatched three boats to recover the fuel, as well as specialized vacuums.

“It’s approaching the level of a medium oil spill response,” he said. ‘We’re anticipating several days of cleanup.”

Duke Energy spokesperson Sally Thelen said Duke has also deployed 1,500 feet of containment booms.

She said the company is looking at this spill as a result of "human error" and not a mechanical failure.

According to Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency (HCEMA) officials, the spill happened when an open valve caused a secondary containment unit to lose fuel.

The process of moving fuel from two large tanks to smaller tanks is an everyday process, Thelen said. The tanks and valves are land-based and above ground. She said the diesel spilled down a hill and into the riverbank for about 15 minutes before it was stopped.

HCEMA officials said Coast Guard crews could detect a diesel odor about two miles downstream of the facility Tuesday.

“The fuel leaves a red residue,” Thelen said. “If people along the riverbank notice a red substance on the soil or in the current, that's the diesel fuel oil.”

The plant, which is set to close down Jan. 1, 2015, has the capacity to put out 1,124 megawatts of power and has six coal/steam units. In began operating in June 1952.