Winona Lake Chemical Spill Action Meeting Held
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Staff Report-
Earlier reports estimated about 200,000 gallons of water were used, a figure updated based on new water use information provided by Indiana American Water, according to a press release from The Center for Lakes & Streams at Grace College. The center hosted a group of community leaders including members of the Winona Lake Preservation Association, town of Winona and city of Warsaw Friday.
Center Director Nate Bosch led the meeting to discuss what can be done to address and prevent such spills in the future. Several long-term projects and ideas were discussed, but no plans for large scale action were agreed on at the initial meeting.
While the Warsaw Chemical building involved in the fire was designed with about 15,000 gallons of secondary containment capacity in preparation for emergency situations, a capacity quickly exceeded in this situation.
Surfactants, perfumes and blue dyes released into the lake created surface foam, artificial odors and blue coloration in the water and ice. But these chemicals are less of an immediate concern than methanol and potentially other chemicals, according to the release.
Representatives discussed at the meeting potential steps to guard against future events, such as community education to prevent improper day-to-day use of the storm drain system and to protect waterways. Also discussed were pre-planning for similar events, learning how other communities deal with incidents and identifying high-risk sites in the community.
The Center for Lakes & Streams collected samples to be analyzed for the presence of chemicals on both Feb. 6 and Friday. The center is awaiting results of these samples and will continue to study potential impacts of the spill in Winona Lake, according to the release.
A follow-up meeting to further discuss future action will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
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Earlier reports estimated about 200,000 gallons of water were used, a figure updated based on new water use information provided by Indiana American Water, according to a press release from The Center for Lakes & Streams at Grace College. The center hosted a group of community leaders including members of the Winona Lake Preservation Association, town of Winona and city of Warsaw Friday.
Center Director Nate Bosch led the meeting to discuss what can be done to address and prevent such spills in the future. Several long-term projects and ideas were discussed, but no plans for large scale action were agreed on at the initial meeting.
While the Warsaw Chemical building involved in the fire was designed with about 15,000 gallons of secondary containment capacity in preparation for emergency situations, a capacity quickly exceeded in this situation.
Surfactants, perfumes and blue dyes released into the lake created surface foam, artificial odors and blue coloration in the water and ice. But these chemicals are less of an immediate concern than methanol and potentially other chemicals, according to the release.
Representatives discussed at the meeting potential steps to guard against future events, such as community education to prevent improper day-to-day use of the storm drain system and to protect waterways. Also discussed were pre-planning for similar events, learning how other communities deal with incidents and identifying high-risk sites in the community.
The Center for Lakes & Streams collected samples to be analyzed for the presence of chemicals on both Feb. 6 and Friday. The center is awaiting results of these samples and will continue to study potential impacts of the spill in Winona Lake, according to the release.
A follow-up meeting to further discuss future action will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
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