Vienna residents told water probably safe, but testing continues

VIENNA

Several hundred people who packed the cafeteria at Mathews High School tonight heard that well water and groundwater near an oily spill near the Kleese Development brine-injection well on Sodom Hutchings Road is probably safe.

But the water within a half mile of the spill is being tested today and rushed to a Columbus lab.

A preliminary lab result will be available Tuesday afternoon to indicate whether certain dangerous compounds have been detected, said Kurt Kollar, on-scene coordinator for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The crowd, some of whom became animated in describing their fears relating to the Kleese site, were advised to pick up free bottled water at the Vienna Fire Station and take other precautions relating to bathing if desired, but it's too soon to know whether there is any danger to the well water.

The EPA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources responded Thursday to a resident's phone call and began cleaning up the spill of an estimated 2,000 gallons of "waste oil" from the Kleese site.