Low levels of butyl acrylate, which is used to manufacture plastics and resins, reached the Ohio River through Little Beaver Creek, a small tributary located near the Ohio and Pennsylvania border.
The WVDEP coordinated with the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), to continuously track the plume and collect samples along the Ohio River.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, February 17, 2023, the leading edge of the plume was estimated to be near mile marker 320 on the Ohio River, which is near Ashland, Kentucky.
All monitoring results were well below the provisional health guidance values issued by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), which is 560 parts per billion for drinking water, and levels continued to decrease as the plume traveled downstream. No vinyl chloride has been detected in the Ohio River.
DHHR's Bureau for Public Health, which regulates drinking water in West Virginia, worked with water systems in the state to recommend changing water supplies to preempt any potential effects as necessary. There have been no confirmed contaminants in the finished drinking water from this spill in any water system in West Virginia.
There are currently no water advisories issued at this time related to this spill.
West Virginians with questions or concerns regarding water quality should contact the water utility serving their household. Please report any environmental issues, regardless of their cause, to the statewide spill line at
(800) 642-3074.
Sampling Data