Barge spills toxic chemical into Ohio River

BROOKPORT, Ill. -- Thousands of gallons of a toxic chemical spilled into the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky after a barge hit a lock wall, though the substance did not appear to pose a serious hazard, authorities said Wednesday.

Between 7,000-8,000 gallons of the petroleum-based chemical cumene poured into the water after the accident, between Brookport and Metropolis, said Lt. Wayne Chapman, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the spill did not appear to pose a serious threat to area residents or marine life, and there had been no evacuations, Chapman said.

The barge hit a guide wall of Dam 52 on the Illinois side of the river on Tuesday night, puncturing one of several storage tanks, said Chapman, of the coast guard's Marine Safety Office in nearby Paducah, Ky.

The vessel was carrying a total of about 960,000 gallons of cumene, and the damaged tank held around 164,000 gallons, he said.

The company that owns the barge, Houston-based Kirby Inland Marine said the spill did not pose a significant risk.

"I would say it's not particularly dangerous," company spokesman Mark Buese said.

The barge was en route from the Gulf of Mexico to a port somewhere in the Midwest, though Buese did not know its precise destination. He said no one was injured in the accident and its cause was under investigation.

The Ohio River was closed to traffic for a mile in either direction as crews pumped the remaining cumene out of the damaged tank, Chapman said. River traffic was expected to reopen Wednesday night, he said.

He said the fast-flowing river was expected to safely disperse any cumene that couldn't be contained.

Cumene, also called isopropyl benzene, is used in the manufacture of plastics, Buese said. Inhaling it can cause headaches and dizziness and irritate the eyes, nose and throat, according to the National Institutes of Health Web site. It also can be damaging to animals directly exposed to it, according to the EPA.

As a precaution, local authorities requested the closure of Fort Massac State Park, near the spill site, Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Patti Thompson.

The Kentucky Department of Highways temporarily restricted traffic to one lane westbound on the Interstate 24 Ohio River Bridge to enable environmental officials to set up an air monitoring station on the bridge. It was reopened Wednesday afternoon.