The Kentucky Emergency and Environment cabinet said 10 of 11 barges got loose from the tug Tuesday.
Three barges are stuck at the McAlpine Dam.
They said the one of those is partially underwater and is carrying 1,400 tons of methanol. The CDC says methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source.
It’s unclear whether the methanol is leaking, but the EEC says if it is, it should dilute quickly. However, they would expect some fish to die.
Louisville Water says this incident is downriver from water intake, and that there is no impact to water quality and water is safe.
The rest of the barges were carrying soy bean oil and corn.
The state’s emergency management team and the coast guard will determine the next steps.
Louisville Fire has deployed hazmat monitoring and LMPD and LFD are surveying the area until the barges’ private company arrives on scene.
It could take awhile to get all the barges out. There was a similar incident near Louisville on Christmas Day 2018. It took six months to get all 15 barges out of the water.
Source: https://www.wlky.com/amp/article/barges-loose-ohio-river-louisville-indiana/43442639