Heating oil has been spilled into Warm Springs Run in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
Local residents complained about an oil smell in Berkeley Springs, with the smell especially strong around the 7-Eleven convenience store.
Morgan County Commissioner Bob Ford said there was no threat to the local public drinking water supply.
Ford said that Washington County Pennsylvania Hazardous Materials Unit was called in and had the situation under control.
Most likely the spill came from a local resident’s heating oil tank, Ford said.
Ford said that the Hazmat unit has a skimmer device and “they were vacuuming it out of the water,” Ford said. “The oil penetrated the sewer system.”
At 6 pm, the Morgan County Commission put out a statement saying that “there have been numerous reports of the odor of fuel in the area of the Town of Bath and areas North to the sewer treatment plant.”
“Presently fire crews and law enforcement are going door to door in this area to check on residents and to ventilate structures impacted by this incident,” the statement read. “In the event you should need to evacuate your residence, a temporary shelter is being established at Warm Springs Middle School. The American Red Cross has been notified and will be at Warm Springs Middle School to provide sheltering support. If you smell an odor of fuel in your home, please get outside immediately and dial 9-1-1.”
“According to Washington County Hazmat, the location of the fuel leak into the Warm Springs Run has been identified. Preliminary thoughts are that the contaminate began in the run and progressed into the sewer system. The leak is being contained and remediation processes are underway. There is no threat to the public water system.”