Clean-up Progresses Following Tippecanoe River Spill

Spill2Clean-up continues in the Tippecanoe River following a diesel spill late last week.

The Pulaski County Commissioners briefly reviewed the incident Monday night to discuss the progress. The spill caused canoe traffic along that four-mile stretch of river to be disallowed until clean-up is complete.

IDEM, Environmental Remediation Services (ERS), and the Pulaski County EMA Department have been working to clean-up the site of the spill. EMA Director Sheri Gaillard says booms were deployed across the river at two locations.

“From what I understand what that entails is trying to slow down the flow of the river at that location and they have what’s called boom socks across the river which absorb the oily, petroleum-based product,” says Gaillard.

The areas affected include water south of the Tippecanoe River State Park. State and local officials have requested that the public stay away from the area until the clean-up has been finished. Estimates have put a tentative clean-up completion date for this weekend.

Insurance claims have been opened for the spill by Loehmer Ag Products – the company allegedly responsible for the spill according to multiple sources. It will allow those affected to submit their information for consideration.

Commissioner Larry Brady says the incident is unfortunate.

“We don’t want these incidents to occur, but knowing that it did happen, you were there,” says Brady. “If not, you had other people be there in the event that you weren’t able to help out. Pulaski County is offering everything that we can to IDEM and ERS.”

The Pulaski County Commissioners encouraged the EMA Director to purchase firefighter boots for spills of a similar nature in the future after diesel was found on her shoes and clothing when clean-up started on Friday afternoon.

The EMA Department says they are waiting for the clean-up to be completed and that assistance will be provided where its needed.