Marathon continues cleanup of crude

By CATHY GILKEY Sun Staff Report

While cleanup crews and environmental officials have stood down from emergency operations status, Marathon

Ashland Petroleum workers and contractors remain at the Southwind Golf Course in their continuing efforts to remove any remaining oil from the ground and the Two Mile Creek.

About 30 people remain on-site, down from a peak of 500 a week or so after the spill was reported, said Troy Reynolds, spokesman for MAP.

The Marathon Ashland Petroleum oil transmission pipeline ruptured Jan. 27, spilling close to 900,000 gallons on the Southwind Golf Course and into Two Mile Creek. Workers were able to stop the oil before it reached the Kentucky River.

But as a precautionary measure, Winchester continues drawing water from its Carroll E. Ecton Reservoir as the Winchester Municipal Utilities Co. still is testing Two Mile Creek and the Kentucky River for any traces of petroleum derivatives.

On Feb. 3, WMU officials decided to switch to the reservoir when benzene and toluene were found in samples taken from Two Mile Creek below the containment area. Marathon Ashland Petroleum officials confirmed that their testing found trace quantities of hydrocarbons. Benzene and toluene, both harmful if ingested over a long period of time, are hydrocarbons.

"We'll continue to monitor the water," said WMU General Manager Vernon Azevedo. "When we have a comfortable level, we'll switch back."

Azevedo said a "comfortable level" would be undetectable levels of the two compounds.

If the most recent water tests come back negative, WMU will switch back to the Kentucky River as its water source, he said.

Winchester is one of only five utilities in the state to have two separate water supplies.

With the recent rain, Two Mile Creek should be more flushed out and any leftover oil or oil compounds could be diluted even more, he said.

Reynolds agreed that the rain helped flush the area and said workers continue to skim any oil off the surface. Two dams that allow water to flow but stop oil have been constructed at the containment site.

Two of the trailers used as a command post at the golf course have been removed and the rest will be leaving Friday, Reynolds said.

A new office will be opening Friday at 47 S. Main St. Suite 205, to be used as a contact point for the community and MAP. The office's phone number will be 737-0454.

No price tag has been attached to the spill, Reynolds said.

"Our primary concern is the complete restoration of the area, regardless of the cost," he said.

MAP officials have been meeting with community groups and speaking with residents about the spill and their efforts to restore the area. Gary Wieland, deputy incident commander for MAP now working at the site, recently spoke at a Rotary Club luncheon and other officials addressed the public at a forum Feb. 7.

MAP donated chainsaws and other small pieces of equipment to last weekend's annual auction of the Winchester and Clark County Kiwanis clubs to raise funds for charity projects. Reynolds said it was part of MAP's effort to work with the community in the aftermath of the spill.

Link:

http://www.winchestersun.com/HTMLpages/news1.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 16, 2000

Answers

Even more proof that Flight 261 crashed because of a y2k failure.

"Azevedo said a "comfortable level" would be undetectable levels of the two compounds. "

I wish the pollies could just engage their brains and read between the lines. Its really not that hard to see that Flight 261 was a y2k casualty. Maybe Hawk is just more evolved than you.

-- Butt Nugget (catsbutt@umailme.com), February 16, 2000.

Geez, BN. Can you turn down that post a little? It's before 8 am, and I'm still waiting for my coffee...

-- (kb8um8@yahoo.com), February 16, 2000.

"Is this how BN did the quotation in red?"

-- (playing@home.now), February 16, 2000.