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\nA black liquid seeping from the ground along Oil Well Road raised concerns in Barren County this week, prompting a resident to report it to the EPA.<\/p>\n
\nA black liquid seeping from the ground along Oil Well Road raised concerns in Barren County this week, prompting a resident to report it to the EPA.<\/p>\n
As it turns out, the agency has been aware of the issue for decades.<\/p>\n
Barren County Emergency Management Director Garland Gilliam said an anonymous tip was relayed to EPA officials Wednesday, describing what appeared to be an oil spill just outside of Glasgow.<\/p>\n
The affected area, located in a karst spring along Boyd\u2019s Creek, has emitted a strong sulfur odor for years due to the presence of several abandoned crude oil wells.<\/p>\n
Since 1983, the EPA has been working to plug these wells and address ongoing oil seepage in the area.<\/p>\n
According to the agency, 15 leaking, abandoned wells have been located and plugged over the years, with most of that work occurring between 1991 and 1993.<\/p>\n
The EPA said the leaking wells have been the result of historically poor drilling and plugging techniques combined with the particular hydrogeologic conditions in the area.<\/p>\n
Despite efforts to mitigate the issue, two additional oil seeps were discovered in January 2025 along a bedrock outcropping near the EPA\u2019s oil sump collection building. That facility, installed in the mid-1990s, has collected nearly 40,000 gallons of crude oil over the years which would have otherwise discharged directly into navigable waters of the United States.<\/p>\n
EPA crews continue to deploy absorbent booms near the seeps to minimize contamination of Boyd\u2019s Creek, with further investigations into abandoned subsurface oil wells and boreholes expected this spring.<\/p>\n
Gilliam said that heavy rains often cause the old oil wells to overflow, turning the ground black with crude.<\/p>\n
While he receives at least two calls a year about the issue, he reassured residents that the situation is long-standing and actively managed by federal officials.
\nSource: WBKO<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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