LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's been over a week since a train derailment in Ohio turned into a chemical spill.
However, Louisville Water said the water is safe to drink and that the spill is 300 miles away from Louisville.
Water Quality Manager Chris Bobay said it "is degrading very quickly and we probably won't see it here."
Pete Goodmann, director of water quality and research at Louisville Water, said the higher temperatures and slower water flow are working in our favor.
Their monitoring system in the Ohio River has detected a small amount of the chemicals far upstream in Virginia, but the team is sure they pose no risk to us.
"We have an extensive monitoring network for organics detection in the Ohio River and along the river basin," Bobay said. "That network is detecting low levels of chemicals associated with the release from the train derailment."
However, Louisville Water emphasized the chemicals are way lower than any public safety risk, and they said it's responding well to treatment.
"I can just tell you the levels we're seeing are hundreds of times lower than any public health risk screening for toxicology," Bobay said in reference to the chemicals they found in Virginia. "There is no concern to the public health of the drinking water in the city of Louisville."
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified lab scientists perform 200 tests daily on the Ohio River, and are specifically testing for this chemical according to officials.
The chemical involved is used to produce plastics and resins.
The train derailment happened in East Palestine, Ohio, around 20 miles north of the Ohio River near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Those living around the train tracks were forced to evacuate but have since been allowed back to their homes.
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