Wayne County officials take precautions after oil spill, 'do not consume' order in effect

Emergency Management notifications advised Friday that no oil had been seen in the Wayne Water Utility's water supply as of that date, and the "do not consume order" was precautionary.

"It appears that the location, source, and amount of the initial contaminate have been identified and mostly contained," the post said.

The office advised anyone with livestock who lived along East Lynn Road between East Lynn and Wayne should not water the animals from Twelvepole Creek until cleanup is complete. 

On Sunday, the office added that the water utility was waiting for testing and direction from the West Virginia Health Department to determine potential contamination and need for line purging.

Also Sunday, the Emergency Management office stated cleanup is expected to take time, possibly lasting into next week.

Grace posted on his Facebook Monday night, following a meeting with representatives from the DEP, AEP, the West Virginia Health Department and local Emergency Management, that initial flushing of the town's water system will begin Tuesday morning.

Affected schools in Wayne County — East Lynn Elementary and Wayne elementary, middle and high schools — were already scheduled to be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Superintendent Todd Alexander said the district was concerned about the water being used for drinking, hand washing and cleaning. Bottled drinking water and portable handwashing stations were brought in, but Alexander said the district waited for test results to determine if water at the school could be used for cleaning before deciding if schools would remain open Tuesday. The water was not approved for non-consumable uses, the district announced Monday evening, so the four affected schools will be closed Tuesday with the potential for additional closures later in the week. Staff will still report Tuesday.

"A one-day event we're able to get through with bottled water and hand sanitizer and things like that, but if it's going to be multiple days, and we can't use the water for cleaning, with as many locations as impacted — with four schools being impacted — that's a much bigger challenge," he said.

Clean up and the origins of the spill

The DEP said Friday that Appalachian Electric Power owned the damaged substation on land owned by Lexington Coal Company, and initially, AEP hired contractor SafetyKleen for cleanup. 

As of Sunday, the DEP had "taken over the oversight of cleanup activities on both ground and waterways ... and their people along with environmental contractors [were] on site helping," according to Emergency Management.

According to a Sunday DEP news release, the department is working with the West Virginia Department of Health and the Town of Wayne for water sampling, and at that time, sampling had not indicated that the town’s water system had been affected. Additional samples were being analyzed to confirm that drinking water continued to meet regulatory standards, the release added.

The release specified that the oil released is believed to be a non-PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) fluid and said investigations into the specific contents of the unit were ongoing and expected to be verified soon.

The DEP issued a cessation order to Lexington Coal Company, meaning the company cannot resume operations until the oil cleanup is complete, the department said Friday. 

The DEP also said AEP contacted law enforcement regarding the alleged vandalism. The Wayne County Sheriff's Department is handling the criminal investigation for that incident.

Water sent to Wayne

The Wayne County Commission shared in a Facebook post Monday that, due to the oil leak, it had declared a local state of emergency for the county effective Jan. 14.

This declaration is meant to unlock "vital additional resources and state-level support in response to the ongoing water contamination incident affecting the town of Wayne," according to the post.

"This proactive declaration aims to ensure rapid assistance, coordination, and relief for residents impacted by the contamination," the post continued.

Eighteen pallets of bottled water were delivered to the community by the West Virginia Division of Emergency Management and DEP on Sunday, with an additional 18 slated to be delivered Monday morning. Appalachian Power and West Virginia American Water also assisted in the distribution of water, the DEP release said.

The release said the state will continue working with Wayne County to ensure residents have the resources they need until the situation is fully resolved.

Additionally, shower trailers, laundry stations and more drinking water were announced to be en route to Wayne on Monday through the efforts of some local businesses. 

The East Lynn Volunteer Fire Department said Monday evening that shower houses would be placed outside of the fire station, at 19740 East Lynn Road, overnight. Bottled water was also made available at the station for those affected by the oil leak.