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Informing Local Officials of Spills

Fortunately, a spill of an additive used in making asphalt last week in Martins Ferry posed no threat to the environment or the city’s drinking water. But what if it had?

A pipe at Lash Paving in the city burst last weekend, spilling as much as 10,000 gallons of the additive. Nearly all of it was contained within the company’s grounds, but about 100 gallons flowed into the Ohio River.

Apparently the substance is relatively harmless and easy to clean up, even in water. It is not a threat to the environment.

But Martins Ferry officials, including the water department superintendent, did not learn of the spill until Monday. That did not please them.

As Mayor Robert Krajnyak noted, “We need to be notified, whether it’s serious or not, so we can protect our water source.” The city’s water is pumped from the river.

These days, it sometimes seems as if there are protocols — prescribed ways of handling situations — for just about everything. Many of the procedures are written into state and federal laws.

Even if they are not, common sense would seem to dictate that when 10,000 gallons of a chemical leaks out of a pipeline, local officials should be among the very first to be told about it.

Perhaps that cannot be formalized as part of a law or even a local regulation. But in the future, all who may be involved in such a situation should make it a top-of-mind priority.

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