Diesel fuel spill affects creek and river in West Virginia

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 00:02 · Archive

Less than 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from a storage tank at a trucking company into Slaughters Creek and the Kanawha River in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Crews remain on site cleaning up the spill using vacuum trucks and skimmers, with extra containment booms positioned to keep the diesel from moving further downstream.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection said the trucking company will be responsible for paying for the cleanup process. The DEP is investigating the circumstances surrounding the spill, including potential violations. Based on preliminary assessment, the incident does not appear to have resulted from a structural failure or leak in the storage tank itself, though the DEP said it may have involved operational error. The investigation is ongoing.

The storage tank is classified as a mobile tank under West Virginia law and was delivered to the site in June 2026. It is not currently subject to the DEP's Aboveground Storage Tank Program, but would become subject to applicable requirements if it remains at the location for one year. Regardless of its classification, the company remains subject to applicable state environmental laws governing pollutant discharges, spill reporting, containment and remediation. No previous violations involving the responsible party were found in the DEP's records.

How it is being reported

• New information released about diesel fuel leak in Kanawha CountyDEP officials said the trucking company is responsible for clean-up costs and under investigation for potential violations.WSAZ · 19 Oct, 23:36
• Truck accident, fuel spill response in Kanawha CountyRescue personnel are responding to a truck accident and possible fuel spill in eastern Kanawha County.Wowktv · 19 Oct, 21:56

In this story: Kanawha County · West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection · Slaughters Creek · Kanawha River · Chesapeake

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