** Video of plume much farther upstream than indicated by Marathon, available here.
Plume still visible near the leak as of Tuesday evening
LAFAYETTE, IN — April 20, 2016 — Wabash Riverkeeper, a Waterkeeper Alliance organization, remains on the scene and continues to assess a diesel spill that began Sunday on the Wabash River. Rae Schnapp, Wabash Riverkeeper, took aerial photographs and videos of the site and surrounding area yesterday afternoon and has communicated with Marathon Pipe Line representatives. Following is her statement on the current situation:
“Marathon claims that they have shut off the valve to the pipe, which suggests that no more diesel should be entering the river through the leak. However, when I investigated the river via an aerial patrol yesterday, I found that the plume of diesel was most visible near the site of the leak. The EPA insists that the Wabash River is moving the diesel downstream so quickly that it will not impact any wildlife. What I observed suggests that either diesel was still entering the river yesterday evening, or that diesel is not moving down the river the way that the EPA claims it is. In either circumstance, it is troubling to see information being released seem to downplay what is actually happening on the scene.
The people near the site of the spill can smell the diesel on the water, and they need an honest answer as to whether this is harmful to their health. The fisheries downstream need to be sure that it is safe for them to sell their fish. Right now, it does not seem like Marathon and the EPA are being as forthcoming with information as they should be.
I am also concerned that the command center may not have the local knowledge needed to properly address the spill. For example, a representative from Marathon said yesterday that divers would be sent down to find the leak. Anyone familiar with the Wabash River can tell you that visibility in the Wabash is very low on a good day, let alone right now in flood conditions. I think it would be very beneficial for the command center to engage in dialogue with local citizens and Wabash Riverkeeper in order to obtain the most comprehensive information about the river and the potential impacts of the spill, and to make sure that communities are receiving the information they need.
It was not until nearly 2 and ½ days after the spill began that Marathon confirmed that the diesel was coming from its Two Rivers Pipeline, and there has yet to be a clear confirmation that Marathon fully stopped the leak. There are over 25 pipelines crossing the Wabash River, most of which carry products that are hazardous to human health and water quality. This incident and the delayed resolution raises serious questions about how prepared companies are to address breaches in their pipelines.”