Oil Slick on Ohio River Reaches Kentucky

The smelly oil slick moving down the Ohio River reached Kentucky on Friday, six days earlier than expected because recent heavy rains have increased the river’s flow, officials said.

The leading edge of the 10- to 17-mile-long slick arrived before dawn at Ashland, said Don Armstrong of the state Division of Disaster and Emergency Services.

Officials taking water samples could smell the oil, he said, and the three water intake valves for Ashland, a city of 26,000 residents, were shut down.

The million-gallon spill of diesel fuel resulted from the rupture of an Ashland Oil Co. storage tank near Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 2.

Maysville, about 90 miles from Ashland, is the next Kentucky community expected to be affected by the slick.

Ashland officials said the city’s water storage capacity and recently completed connection to the Kenova, W.Va., water system will minimize the inconvenience for water users. No interruption of service was expected.

Once the main part of the slick passes, pumping will resume and additional treatment measures will be taken, said Paul Rogers, director of utilities.