A dam on a portion of the Ohio River in Kentucky was closed after 10 of 11 barges detached from a towing vessel at around 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The vessel made contact with a stationary structure at the entrance of the Portland Canal, near the McAlpine Locks and Dam, which spans the Falls of the Ohio River.
Six of the detached barges were recovered by local vessels, leaving three pinned against the dam, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
A fourth barge became pinned against the pier of the Fourteenth Street bridge operated by the Louisville & Indiana Railroad, but was recovered at about noon Tuesday.
No injuries were reported and all personnel were accounted for, but so long as the three barges were stuck, the dam and canal locks stayed closed. River traffic reopened to local vessels at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Louisville Metro Emergency Services said.
Of the three barges, two carried corn, while the other had cargo holds containing 1,400 metric tons of methanol.
While the methanol barge was partially submerged, Louisville Metro Emergency Services noted in a statement that there were no leaks or tank breaches that would contaminate the river water.
Louisville is near the site, but is upstream of the dam, with the nearest water intake in Henderson, according to Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet officials.
If methanol does end up in the water, Henderson officials will use activated carbon to absorb the contaminant.
“It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s a very large tool in our tool belt and in every water utility’s toolbelt. The ability to grab onto contaminants and remove them from the water stream is massively helpful. I would just like to assure our customers that our water is safe. It’s something that we’re constantly monitoring,” Henderson Water Utility Treatment Superintendent Josh Thompson told The Winchester Sun.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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