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Kingsbury Run Oil Spill

 
Site Contact:
Jason Cashmere
On-Scene Coordinator

(cashmere.jason@epa.gov)

Site Location:
Rockefeller Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115
response.epa.gov/kingsburyrun
NRC#: 1433862

On June 12, 2025, the National Response Center (NRC) received a call from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District reporting an oil spill in Kingsbury Run, which is a tributary to the Cuyahoga River, in Cleveland, OH.  Initially, EPA & US Coast Guard (USCG) responded with USCG leading response efforts.  Booming was conducted by USCG at multiple locations & product recovery via drum skimmer was undertaken.  USCG has collected fingerprint samples of the oil in Kingsbury Run & at an additional location upgradient of Kingsbury Run.  The results of the fingerprinting indicated at least two distinct types of oil & the sources ultimately could not be identified by USCG.  Additionally, USCG analyzed samples collected from Kingsbury Run for poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the results were positive for Aroclor 1254.

 

USCG has requested that EPA conduct further investigation into the source of the spill.  Initial field observations suggest that there may be multiple, co-mingled sources of oil & PCBs, potentially from multiple land-based non-point sources.  EPA during the initial phase of the investigation, has identified multiple Ohio EPA Voluntary Action Program (VAP) sites located up-gradient of Kingsbury Run.  As part of the ongoing investigation, EPA initially will collect surface water samples from Kingsbury Run (for PCB analysis), product samples for fingerprinting from Kingsbury Run, & adjacent land-based samples for fingerprinting & PCB analysis.  The investigation will involve review of historical Sanborn maps and aerial photos to identify oil-refining related infrastructure used in that area.