21-05-2025
2,500 gallons of fuel spill in Whitehall: fire official
WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) – An ongoing hazmat emergency is affecting people in Whitehall.
According to Whitehall Mayor Michael Bivens, there was a kerosene spill, with some of it running into a local creek.
As of 11 p.m., clean-up crews were still active on Robinwood Avenue, where there appeared to be oil buildup on Mason Run, with several booms placed into the water to help with cleanup.
The spill started around 7 p.m. Tuesday, with crews spending hours using special equipment to survey the area and monitor the air quality.
Columbus Division of Fire Lt. Nicholas Davis said the spill started at a gas company on Fifth Avenue. The company was pushing fuel through pipes into a railcar and at some point, a leak started and it wasn't caught right away; Davis estimated it was approximately 2,500 gallons of fuel.
Davis said there was nothing toxic in the air due to the spill.
'We have all our survey monitors that are in the area making sure of that, and if there is, of course, we would let the residents know and then the rest of the public,' he said. 'You're probably going to smell like it smells like a gas station. It's nothing to be concerned about right now. It's just more of a nuisance than anything. No danger to life or health at this point.'
In addition to Columbus Fire, Whitehall Fire, EPA, EMA, and Columbus Public Health responded to the area.
Davis said crews will be on scene until they know for sure that there is no danger to the public, continuing to monitor the air over the next few days.
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