INDIANAPOLIS — A cleanup is underway after jet fuel from a tanker crash on Thursday has been found in local waterways and on wildlife.
Paws, Wings and Other Things, a local wildlife organization, took photos of three ducks covered in fuel near Pleasant Run Creek in Irvington.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says the fuel got into the creek through the interstate's water system.
There are no drinking water intakes along the creek and they are working with the Marion County Health Department to oversee the cleanup, according to IDEM.
Some people who live in the area say they are worried about the long term impacts the jet fuel spill could have on their health and the environment.
"It's freighting to hear because I walk the park every day and I'm enjoying all this wildlife and I'm afraid it's going to to come to an end," Irvington resident Susan Guthrie said.
IDEM released the following statement on the the clean up:
On the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 20, IDEM Emergency Response (ER) staff were dispatched to the scene of a tanker accident and large fire to assist the Marion County Public Health Department in assessing environmental impacts. An undetermined amount of jet fuel entered Pleasant Run Creek through the interstate’s storm water system. Fuel has been observed approximately 1,400 feet down gradient of the accident site along Pleasant Run. There are no drinking water intakes along Pleasant Run Creek. Pleasant Run feeds into the White River south of downtown Indianapolis and there are no surface water intake concerns in Indiana south of that point.
Cleanup of the jet fuel release continues with containment through skirted and absorbent pads in Pleasant Run Creek. Collection of this fuel is being done via vacuum truck. IDEM ER, along with the Marion County Public Health Department, continue to oversee cleanup activities and provide technical assistance. IDEM asks the public to avoid this area while cleanup crews continue their work.
