In an unfortunate incident, approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Cuyahoga River on January 22nd, originating from the Sherwin-Williams manufacturing plant in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cleveland Division of Fire confirmed the spill, which occurred due to a generator failure at the Sherwin-Williams Breen Technology Center.

According to Lt. Mike Norman, at around 9 a.m., the diesel fuel from the generator made its way into a storm drain, which ultimately feeds into the Cuyahoga River. Promptly responding to the situation, HAZMAT crews were dispatched to the scene.

Efforts to mitigate the spill involved deploying booms and skimmers to contain a majority of the fuel, Lt. Norman explained. Subsequently, a private company was hired to continue the environmental cleanup, aiming to recover an estimated 85-90% of the spilled diesel fuel.

The Sherwin-Williams Company issued a statement regarding the incident, detailing the timeline of events. They discovered the diesel fuel line failure at approximately 5:45 a.m. at their Breen Technology Center. By 7:30 a.m., it had become apparent that the fuel had reached the storm drains leading to the Cuyahoga River. In response, the company immediately notified the Cleveland Fire Department, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and third-party hazardous materials remediation company, HEPACO, to aid in the cleanup efforts.

HEPACO is actively involved in containing the spill, estimated to be within the range of 60-100 gallons of diesel fuel. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in connection to the incident. The Sherwin-Williams Company expects to have around 90% of the cleanup completed on January 22nd. However, containment materials will remain in the river until all recoverable diesel fuel has been collected.

As the investigation into the cause of the spill continues, Sherwin-Williams reiterates its commitment to taking appropriate corrective measures. They are focused on resolving the generator issue and implementing necessary fixes or replacements to prevent such incidents in the future.