WOODVILLE, Ohio — The Village of Woodville confirmed a diesel spill in the Portage River Thursday morning.
According to village officials, people might see a sheen on the river or smell the fuel. The Ohio EPA and Wood County authorities are monitoring the issue, the village said.
An Ohio EPA spokesperson told WTOL 11 a citizen reported seeing a sheen and diesel odor on the Middle Branch Portage River near US 6 and State Rout 199 in Freedom Township Tuesday.
Following the report, the Ohio EPA then notified the Wood County Emergency Management Agency, who alerted local fire departments. The groups determined a diesel fuel storage tank on a nearby farm had been leaking. The fuel then entered a field that drains into the river.
Wood County EMA Director Jeff Klein said an estimated 400 to 500 gallons of fuel leaked into the river, and stated the owner of the tank is the responsible party in this incident.
According to the Ohio EPA, the leak has been stopped and an environmental contractor is currently cleaning up the fuel from the farm and is vacuuming the fuel from the field and river. The contractor company also placed an absorbent boom into the river to prevent further the fuel from moving further downstream.
Authorities also said Thursday's rain helped dilute some of the fuel.
The Ohio EPA said it had not seen any impacts to aquatic life or other wildlife due to the spill, but would continue monitoring the area and progress of the cleanup. Wood County EMA corroborated the statement, saying there were no large fish killed or significant diesel on the shore.
The Portage River flows northeast mainly through Wood, Sandusky and Ottawa counties before emptying into Lake Erie.
Images of the diesel spill in the river are included below:
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include more information made available from the Ohio EPA and Wood County EMA.
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