3 companies issued violations for construction sludge in Bullitt County creek

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Department for Environmental protection issued violations to three different companies for the construction waste from a Louisville road project that ended up in a Bullitt County creek.

Documents obtained by WDRB News reveal a previously unknown Pennsylvania company tied to the mess of concrete sludge in Blue Lick Creek. Violations were issued to Lexington, Ky., based Bluegrass Contracting, Bullitt County property owner Virgil Mitchell Warren and newly revealed Wagman Heavy Civil, Inc., a hauling company based in York Pennsylvania. Environmental Protection officials say Bluegrass Contracting hired Wagman to carry slurry to Warren's property from a paving repair project on Polar Level Road in Louisville.

"The site is not permitted for the disposal of this material," the violation documentation says. "The concrete slurry flowed from the site and contaminated several miles of Blue Lick Creek."

All three companies now face fines of up to $25,000 per day, according to a spokesman from Kentucky's Energy and Environment cabinet. Spokesman John Mura said the current violations come from the state's division of Waste Management, and more are expected to be issued this week by the division of water.

"Finally," said Rhonda Gribbins, who lives along the creek. "It's sad that it takes a fine to make you pay attention to what you're doing."

Outside Gribbins home on Pryor Valley Road, Bluegrass Contracting crews removed a rock dam Tuesday meant to catch the waste in the water. It's considered a sign of progress as the dams were placed there to 225,000 gallons of slurry that slid into the creek from Warren's property.

"The contractor has removed all of the slurry that can be mechanically removed from the streams," Kentucky Division of Waste Management Director Jon Maybriar said.

The focus of the effort is moving from cleanup to repair. Officials said a company specializing in restoring streams will soon be hired by Bluegrass Contracting.

"Included with the restoration, there are areas where some of the banks had been widened to use heavy equipment," Maybriar said. "The company will have to look at how those areas can be restored, as well as there are some old historical ATV trails used by local citizens ... that need to be restored as well."

Rhonda Gribbons, Bullitt County resident upset about slurry in Blue Lick Creek — Rhonda Gribbons

Gribbins is skeptical of the cleanup.

"I'm still upset about it. I don't see a difference in my water. That's not dirt," she said, pointing to a clay-like sludge under the bridge by her home.

Part of the restoration process must find a system to catch the remaining slurry as it surfaces in the water.

"Some of the material is not going to be able to be recovered," Maybriar said.

Environmental officials say drinking water was not impacted by slurry, and the pH level returned to normal for fish life.

The state of emergency for the cleanup is still in place.

"The men that were dumping this stuff over the edge they had to know," Gribbins said. "Maybe I'm wrong. I just thought people had a little common sense."

Related Stories: