Edit: This article has been updated to reflect a statement from Bakelite.
A chemical spill turned a creek in the Riverside Gardens neighborhood red on Sunday afternoon, raising alarms among residents who reported a strong chemical odor in the area.
Local officials have not yet identified the specific chemicals, their quantities or the exact source of the spill as of Monday morning. The affected waterway, an unnamed intermittent stream, flows through Riverside Gardens into the Mill Creek cutoff, which eventually empties into the Ohio River.
The Bakelite Synthetics plant, located just north of the neighborhood, has emerged as a potential source. The facility handles hazardous chemicals such as formaldehyde, methanol and phenol. Some residents living along Wilmoth Avenue, just a few hundred feet from the plant, reported the creek’s discoloration and a strong chemical smell late Sunday afternoon.
Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Chief Jason Meiman described the spill as a caustic solution that is rapidly diluting over time. “Our crews walked the ditch line, and all indications are that it came from Bakelite,” Meiman said, while noting that the source has not been officially confirmed.
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Officials from the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Department, Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District and other agencies responded to the scene after residents reported the incident.
A LENSAlert notification was issued around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, warning residents and pets within a half-mile of Bakelite Synthetics, located at 6200 Camp Ground Road, to avoid natural streams and bodies of water. The alert reassured residents that there was no immediate threat to public safety, air quality, or drinking water.
Bakelite Synthetics issued a statement Monday morning acknowledging the situation. “We received a call from Louisville’s emergency management system around 5 p.m. Sunday reporting what looked to be pink or reddish foam in the drainage ditch on Camp Ground Road, near our site,” the company said.
The company added that they began testing groundwater and searching their property for a potential leak immediately after receiving the report. “At this time, no leak or other origin that would result in this discovery has been found. We are fully supporting the ongoing investigation.”
The Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Department reported conducting chemical level tests in the area, which indicated no immediate hazards to people or animals. Emergency orders have since been lifted, but Bakelite continues to advise residents to avoid streams and waterways within a half-mile of the plant until further notice.
Officials remain on-site, monitoring the situation as the investigation into the spill continues.
Update: At 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Bakelite released a statement regarding the leak:
“Yesterday, at approximately 5:00 p.m., a call came into Louisville’s emergency management system reporting what looked to be pink or reddish foam in the drainage ditch on Camp Ground Road, the same road our Louisville site is located.
The local fire department quickly responded. We immediately began searching the property for any possible leak and began conducting testing of the ground water. Upon learning of the concern, we immediately closed the valves at the retention pond that drain to the local ditch in question to contain any potential discharges as we investigate.
At this time, we believe the source of the leak is the result of an underground pipe that froze and cracked during the extreme cold.
As a result of the compromised pipe, we have found low amounts of caustic and phenol and trace amounts of butyl acetate. The fire department conducted air monitoring along the creek to determine there was no airborne contamination concerns. Working in conjunction with the fire department and sampling of the stream, it was determined that the release was not a risk to public safety.
We are committed to the safety of our local community and our associates. In addition to confirming the source of the leak, we have begun remediating any signs of the leak. The valves at the retention pond that drain to the local ditch will remain closed and once remediation is complete, will be fully tested before being reopened.
As the local fire department commented last night during their low-level community alert, there is still no immediate danger to the local area, nor is there cause for any sort of evacuation; however, residents and pets within ½ miles are encouraged to avoid natural water streams and bodies of water until further notice. We thank the local fire department for their immediate response and support.
Safety is a core value at Bakelite and we take this extremely serious. We will continue to investigate and remedy this situation.”
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This article appears in Jan 17-30, 2025.