BATAVIA, OH (Feb. 22, 2023) — No harmful chemicals were detectable when the plume from the East Palestine, Ohio, hazardous waste spill passed Clermont County on the Ohio River, according to the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). A full data table and accompanying map are available at:
East Palestine Ohio Train Derailment Spill Response – ORSANCO | ORSANCOClermont County Water Resources Director Lyle Bloom said in an update today to the Board of County Commissioners that four (4) wells were shut down due to rising river levels from Feb. 18-21, out of extreme caution. The county will also continue to monitor for harmful chemicals as an added measure of caution.
The main concern along the Ohio River has been for surface water treatment plants, such as in Cincinnati and Louisville, that pump water directly from the river. Clermont County has three treatment plants, one of which is located in the southwestern portion of the county where it draws water from the Ohio River Valley Aquifer, not directly from the river. Due to the geology of the aquifer, there is little concern about contaminants entering into the wellfields from the river.
