Video at link
Posted on 03/28/2023 5:49:55 PM PDT by shadowlands1960
A set of locks for an Ohio River dam in Kentucky is closed due to a "navigational incident" after 10 barges were released from a tugboat, including one barge carrying 1,400 tons of a toxic alcohol compound, officials said.
The incident occurred at roughly 2 a.m. Tuesday, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Of 11 total barges, 10 became loose from a tugboat; three barges became pinned to the dam, and one additional barge was pinned against a pier, the agency said.
The Army Corp of Engineers said it recovered the barge pinned against the pier by noon Tuesday. It wrote in a statement that the remaining six barges were recovered, adding that the dam's locks will remain closed until the "barges on the dam are stabilized."
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet said in a tweet that the barge carrying methanol is partially submerged at the McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, Kentucky. The incident prompted Louisville Fire to deploy hazmat monitoring to the dam, according to a Louisville Metro Emergency Services representative.
"The barge companies are marshaling significant resources in response to the incident and will assess the situation and determine next steps," the representative wrote. "In the meantime, Louisville Fire has deployed Haz-Mat monitoring and LMPD and LFD are surveying the area until the private company arrives on scene."
The closest water intake on the Ohio River from the affected dam is in Henderson, Kentucky -- more than 100 miles away from Louisville, according to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
"There is no impact to Louisville Water's water intake or water quality," the utility company wrote in a tweet. "Your water is safe to drink."
(Excerpt) Read more at abc7ny.com ...
A toxic alcohol compound? Jägermeister?
Hmmmm…. free mixed drinks down at the river tonight.
Methanol..
Methanol is very toxic but fortunately breaks down very quickly in air and water. But 1400 tons of it is a big deal.
“And we drink alone!”
Even ethanol, in sufficient concentrations, can damage a river environment. A few years ago, a fire at the Jack Daniels disillery resulted in a large quantity of barrel strength whiskey being discharged into the river. Neither tipplers nor biologists were pleased with the result.
Closest town downstream is ten miles... wonder if that is enough water to dilute it?
“Whenever I drink alone......
I prefer to be by MYSELF!!!!!!”
“Your water is safe to drink.”
And then he went blind.
And silence from the Let’s Go Brandon regime, just like East Palestine, Ohio.
If you have a drink while I’m online and I have a drink while you are online, are we drinking alone?
The solution to pollution is dilution. Methanol is soluble in water.
I have an idea! Let’s drain the toxic chemicals from the barges so they can be hauled away.
After all these years of trafficking on barges there must be methods for raising ‘submerged’ ones?
Almost certainly. As I recall, a spill into lakes or rivers can’t really be contained. That barge might have 400,000 gallons of the stuff. Let’s hope the release or spill is relatively small compared to the total.
I did some biodiesel research and a lot of methanol is used in biodiesel production. Breaks idown in a day or maybe a few on ground.
Yeah.. I was just thinking that.. It’s only ‘partially submerged’ so why not crack open the roof and remove the methanol that way?
Tap water kills fish.
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