Vienna residents notified water is fine, but wonder how long leak has occurred

VIENNA

Two residents of Sodom Hutchings Road whose well water was tested in connection with the oil spill at Kleese Development Associates said they were notified Wednesday night their water is fine.

John Hopkinson, who called the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency after contamination in his pond killed fish and other wildlife, said the Trumbull County Health Department called with the news and will provide him with the paperwork today.

Julie Barr, whose house is just north of the Kleese brine-injection facility, also got a call that her water is safe.

“Our water is OK, and they’re discussing how to do follow-up testing or a water source,” she said, adding that means providing a municipal water source.

The biggest reason for that, she said, would be because of the presence of the brine injection well. The leak was, however, occurring for some time — they haven’t determined how long, she said.

“So it’s in the ground,” she said.

Barr said she’s happy for the results but hopes the good news won’t make people think the situation is over and allow the spill to be “swept under the rug,” including information about how the spill occurred in the first place.

“It wasn’t a simple spill,” she said, adding that a great deal of cleanup has gone on in the wetlands across from the Kleese site, making her wonder if the spill occurred over a long period of time.

Read more about the spill in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.