Clean Up Continues After Wyoming County Transformer Failure

Clean up continues after a transformer failure in Wyoming County released mineral oil onto the ground and into a nearby stream. 

Environmental contractors have recovered approximately 18,000 gallons of an oil-and-water mixture at the Appalachian Power substation in the Clear Fork area of Wyoming County following last Friday’s spill. 

Appalachian Power estimates that between 10,000 to 12,000 gallons of oil were released from the transformer. Mineral oil is often used in electrical transformers as a coolant and insulator. 

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) continues to oversee response, containment and cleanup efforts. 

A collection trench has been installed at the substation site preventing any further release of the oil into the watershed. 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. 

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.

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.

This leak came just over two weeks after vandals caused a separate leak from an Appalachian Power substation in Wayne County causing the town water to be contaminated. Residents are still not able to drink from the city water supply after a Do Not Consume order was issued on Jan. 16.