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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Thursday, September 4, 2008 9:42 PM CDT
Gas line leaks in Charleston; city water unaffected

By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com

CHARLESTON — Marathon Pipeline LLC crews responded Wednesday to an apparent leak of diesel fuel from an underground line east of Charleston.

Mayor John Inyart said Marathon crews reported that the leak did not reach the nearby Embarras River, but he said the city’s water treatment plant stopped pumping water from the river into the Lake Charleston side channel reservoir as a precaution.

Marathon spokeswoman Angela Graves said the finished product line runs from a refinery in Robinson north to a facility in Champaign. She said the line shut down immediately as indications of a leak were detected Wednesday morning.

Graves said a preliminary investigation indicated there was a leak, so Marathon alerted local officials and dispatched a response team to the site.

The location of the apparent leak is in a cornfield just north of Illinois Route 16, due east of the Charleston Speedway.

Graves said the response team took containment measures, such as placing absorbent materials around the site, as a precaution. She said there is no indication that the nearby Embarras River has been affected.

“We have been assured that at this point the leak of diesel fuel has been contained to the immediate area in the cornfield well away from our water supply,” Inyart said after meeting with Marathon crews approximately 5:30 p.m. at the site. “We have been assured the company has adequate equipment and manpower available to control the leak and keep our water supply safe.”

Graves said the Marathon response team has been investigating at the site and putting together a response plan. Next, she said, they will dig up the line and determine what repairs are needed.

While doing this, Graves said, the response team has been working closely with local officials and keeping them informed about progress at the site.

Inyart said the Charleston Fire and Rescue Department’s hazardous materials response team was not involved in the spill containment as of early Wednesday evening, but the department’s chief and assistant chief were conferring with Marathon crews at the scene.

“There is not currently any threat to the Embarras River or the water supply to the city,” said Assistant Fire Chief Pat Goodwin in a press release. “Marathon and city officials are continuously monitoring the situation, and the cleanup of any product is under way at this time.”

When an incident like such a spill occurs, Inyart said, having a side channel reservoir between the Embarras River and the water treatment plant is a great advantage.

“The river can literally be taken out of the system at this point,” Inyart said. “We have ample water available in the reservoir.”

Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.

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Midnight Writer wrote on Sep 4, 2008 6:02 AM:

" Once again Charleston can thank former mayor Bob Hickman for his foresight in the side channel and reservoir. "