DEQ report: Excessive toxin levels found in French Broad River after fuel spill

ASHEVILLE — Many toxins found in the French Broad River after a home heating fuel spill on Feb. 4 were found to exceed the safety standards for human health and freshwater aquatic life, according to a report released Tuesday by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

Brett Laverty, hydrologist with the DEQ’s water resources department, took river water samples about 75 feet downstream of the spill site between 5:30 and 8:14 p.m. Feb. 4.

Mountain Energy, a bulk fuel storage facility at 288 Lyman St. in the River Arts District, estimates it lost 1,000-1,200 gallons of diesel from two small holes in the bottom of a 20,000-gallon tank, thought to have been installed in the 1930s.

The tank, since drained, sits 100 feet from the French Broad River in an area highly used for outdoor recreation.

Buncombe County Health and Human Services issued a recreation advisory for a 20-mile section of the French Broad River from Jean Webb Park (near the spill site, close to the former 12 Bones) north to Marshall, in Madison County, warning people and pets to avoid all contact with river water.

RELATED: Health officials: Stay out of the French Broad River

RELATED: Mountain Energy given 30 days to install groundwater monitoring wells after fuel spill

RELATED: Wildlife habitat, water quality protected in Sandy Mush

The advisories were posted in English and in Spanish at popular access points including Jean Webb Park, Pearson Bridge Access Point, The Floating Boat Ramp at Craven Street, Woodfin Riverside Park and Ledges Whitewater River Park.

The advisory includes avoiding such activities as swimming, wading, canoeing, rafting or allowing pets to play in the water.

The advisory is still in effect.

Laverty said “no one knows” when the leak first started. But it was first reported by someone who smelled a gasoline odor at Woodfin Park, several miles north of Asheville, and alerted the fire department.

Surface water results taken before 7 p.m. at the site of the fuel spill show exceedance of the surface water standards for the following volatile fuel components: Ethylbenzene, Isopropylbenzene, Naphthalene, n-Propylbenzene, sec-Butylbenzene, Toluene and Xylene.

These are all considered volatile organic compounds that can cause serious health effects if humans or pets come into physical contact or ingest them, Laverty said.

Samples taken after 7 p.m. show the concentrations drop off as Mountain Environmental, contracted by Mountain Energy for remediation services, worked to stop the release, Laverty said.

For example, the levels of ethylbenzene were initially shown to be 650 parts per billion, while the safe standard for human health is 40 parts per billion. They dropped to safe levels by 8 p.m., Laverty said.

“These samples reflect the quality of the French Broad River at the top of the water column because home heating oil is somewhat insoluble and less dense than water,” he said. “So initially the fuel is floating on top of the water column rather than dissolving into the water column.”

Photos and video taken by the DEQ and the Asheville Fire Department, which stopped the leak by placing a magnetic patch over the hole, show a torrent of red-dyed diesel pluming around the river banks, illustrating how dangerous the situation could have been if it had been a warm, sunny day with many people recreating on the river, Laverty said.

The cold weather most likely helped avoid any serious health effects, he said. The situation would have been much different in the height of summer tubing season, however. There are no drinking water intakes within the path of the spill.

The recent rains might have helped to wash the oil plume and sheen out of the Asheville area, Laverty said. The French Broad River flows north, but the fuel discharge could have negative effects on recreation and on aquatic wildlife north of town in the Woodfin and Marshall areas. So far no fish kills have been reported.

Laverty said he is waiting for the river level to subside to take more water samples. The National Weather Service said 2.5 inches of rain fell between Feb. 10-12, pushing the river to above flood stage at Blantyre. Laverty said the French Broad River in Asheville is about 3.5 feet above normal.

Caroline LaFond, acting regional supervisor for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Underground Storage Tanks Section, said the agency issued a notice of violation Feb. 8 to Mountain Energy, for spilling oil into the waterway. The company has 30 days from initial date to complete initial phase of assessment and install groundwater monitoring wells.

Laverty said Mountain Energy has removed all the oil stored in the tanks at the facility, and there is no more oil leaking into the river.

He said he expects more violation notices for Mountain Energy to come from the water resources division relating to exceeding surface water standards and the removal of best uses for the river – that is, removing the ability for outdoor recreation.

“What caused the discharge is their secondary containment,” Laverty said. “The storm water drain valve was left open. It is supposed to close each time they let storm water out, so when do have a spill it stays in the containment area, and that didn’t happen.”

More information

If you see a multi-color or shiny, substance in the water or notice a fuel-like smell, call the Division of Environmental Quality at 828-296-4500. For health and safety questions, call Buncombe County Health and Human Services at 828-250-5016.