Duke Energy is now reporting 9,000 gallons of fuel spilled into the Ohio River August 18 at the W.C. Beckjord Station. The original estimate was about 5,000 gallons.
“We are pleased with the cleanup progress we’ve made and will continue to do further remediation as needed as a result of the spill,” said Chuck Whitlock, Duke Energy president of Midwest Commercial Generation and vice president of gas operations. “The collaboration of the different agencies during this cleanup has proven to be invaluable.”
Cleanup crews are monitoring the river and its banks, and are responding to any reports of residue or diesel product spotted in the water or on the shoreline, a release says. A handful of calls have been fielded through the Cleanup Hotline since Friday, with no significant findings. Anyone wanting to report additional fuel residue in the river or on its banks may call 855-645-8265.
Here's the full release from Duke:
Duke Energy today released updated information on the diesel fuel spill that occurred on Aug. 18, at W.C. Beckjord Station, 20 miles southeast of Cincinnati. As part of its ongoing investigation, Duke Energy has determined that the amount of fuel that spilled into the Ohio River was approximately 9,000 gallons. The original estimate was approximately 5,000 gallons. “We are pleased with the cleanup progress we’ve made and will continue to do further remediation as needed as a result of the spill,” said Chuck Whitlock, Duke Energy president of Midwest Commercial Generation and vice president of gas operations. “The collaboration of the different agencies during this cleanup has proven to be invaluable.” The company continues to work closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on this investigation and cleanup, as well as other federal, state and local agencies regarding the spill. Cleanup crews are monitoring the river and its banks, and are responding to any reports of residue or diesel product spotted in the water or on the shoreline. A handful of calls have been fielded through the Cleanup Hotline since Friday, with no significant findings. Anyone wanting to report additional fuel residue in the river or on its banks may call 855-645-8265. The incident occurred during a fuel oil transfer at the plant located on the banks of the Ohio River in New Richmond, Ohio.
