Published: November 10, 2009 11:46 pm      

Oil spill reaches Grayson tributary

Officials say spill is contained to creek

ASHLAND — A crude oil spill in Elliott County did reach a cold water habitat stream that is a tributary to Grayson Lake.

Officials with the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection said Tuesday that the spill is now contained and cleanup efforts are going well.

Contractors completing the cleanup had already removed more than 5,000 gallons of contaminated liquid and 220 tons of contaminated dirt by Monday and were continuing work on Tuesday. The companies are expected to finish their work within a few days.

The site then will be turned over to the DEP’s superfund division, which will oversee the long-term remediation of the affected area, officials said.

Department of Environmental Protection Emergency Response Team Manager Robert Francis said the spill, which originated at the Cornerstone Minerals Stafford Heirs No. 1 lease, was reported to the division’s Morehead office by company officials shortly after 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.

He said approximately 4,200 gallons of crude oil made its way from the facility’s spill prevention control and countermeasure basin into an unnamed tributary of Big Caney Creek.

According to Elliott County officials, the oil and gas site is on private property, which is being leased to another company. It is reportedly in the Stark area off Ky. 649.

The cause of the spill remains under investigation. Francis said, it is believed a valve was left open at the company’s containment facility allowing the oil to drain into the unnamed tributary.

Once state officials conclude their investigation, the findings will be turned over to enforcement officials who will determine what actions need to be taken against the company. No criminal charges are expected, according to Francis.

Two contractors — Weavertown Environmental Group and Hefner Environmental — were hired by to clean up the spill and have been on site since Friday.

A small earthen underflow dam was constructed by Weavertown with state regulators’ oversight in an attempt to contain the spill to the tributary approximately one quarter mile from its confluence with the Big Caney Creek.

Francis said Tuesday the dam was unsuccessful and some oil had reached Big Caney Creek. Efforts are now focused on ensuring the spill does not reach Grayson Lake, he said.

Francis said no advisories will be issued to the public in regards to eating fish from Grayson Lake or concerning recreational use of the reservoir.

He said once the site is turned over to officials with the department’s superfund division, they will determine the extent of the contamination and what actions need to be taken to finish the clean up.

Francis said emergency response teams handle approximately 450 incidents annually ranging from crude oil spills like this one to diesel fuel spills from overturned trucks. He described large spills like the one in Elliott County as “rare.”

“We may have one of these every three or four months,” he said.

CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.