More than 2,000 fish, frogs, crayfish killed in Clinton County fuel spill

Crews vacuum surface fuel that spilled into Dutch Creek at the Gurneyville Road bridge in Liberty Twp. near Wilmington in Clinton County. CONTRIBUTED

Credit: Clinton County Emergency Management Agency

Credit: Clinton County Emergency Management Agency

Crews vacuum surface fuel that spilled into Dutch Creek at the Gurneyville Road bridge in Liberty Twp. near Wilmington in Clinton County. CONTRIBUTED

A large diesel fuel spill into a Clinton County waterway on Saturday killed more than 2,000 fish, frogs and crayfish.

Crews continued to clean up the spill on Monday at Dutch Creek that was linked to a fuel storage tank on R+L Carriers property at 600 Gillam Road, according to the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency.

The amount of fuel released from the freight company property into Dutch Creek in Liberty Twp. was not known but it has not affected public water systems, the county EMA stated in a release.

Wildlife officers were called just after 7 p.m. Saturday to the spill, and were able to rescue an oil-covered duck, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

There were 35 people working on various sites along the creek, including personnel from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Coast Guard and numerous contractors, who have worked over the last two and a half days to contain the spill, according to a Monday evening release from Clinton County.

As part of the cleanup, crews built under-flow dams to allow vacuum collection of diesel on the surface of the creek.

“The biggest issue that has slowed cleanup has been the weather. Two rain storms have played a role in slowing the response,” the release stated.

The size of the spill remains unknown, the county said.

A female duck is treated at Erica Miller Wildlife Rehab in Miamisburg that was injured by a diesel fuel spill into a Clinton County waterway.

Credit: Erica Miller Wildlife Rehab/Facebook

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Credit: Erica Miller Wildlife Rehab/Facebook

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