WVDEP provides status update on Wyoming County mineral oil release

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) continues to oversee response, containment, and cleanup efforts following a mineral oil release from an Appalachian Power substation in Wyoming County. Originally reported by Appalachian Power as a transformer failure, the company provided photo documentation to state officials shortly after the incident was identified (see below).

Because Appalachian Power’s facility impacted state waters, WVDEP issued a unilateral order requiring the company to conduct cleanup and remediation. Under the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act, entities are legally responsible for addressing impacts to state waters originating from their facilities or property, regardless of cause.

A collection trench has been installed at the substation site preventing any further release of the oil into the watershed. Downstream, crews constructed underflow dams in Reedy Branch and deployed containment booms throughout the watershed, including Clear Fork, the Guyandotte River, and at the inlet of R.D. Bailey Lake. 

Some material entered Clear Fork before all containment measures were in place. As a result, localized pockets of material remain visible between containment structures, particularly near the Toler Farm Bridge area. WVDEP directed Appalachian Power to deploy additional resources to expedite recovery in that location.

Cleanup efforts are also focused on areas where potential material may be trapped in ice and debris. Crews are working to access and remove those pockets ahead of expected thawing conditions, which could increase streamflow.

To date, WVDEP has not observed sheen or other material outside of Clear Fork. While additional containment booms and structures remain in place downstream as a precaution, no impacts to aquatic life or downstream water intakes have been observed or are anticipated. 

WVDEP staff have been onsite daily since the release, including overnight in some cases. Inspectors have established sampling locations and are routinely moving throughout the affected area to assess stream conditions, verify containment performance, and oversee contractor activities as cleanup continues.