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Members of the emergency management team and Sabine River Authority present for the grant announcement were: (from left, front row) Kristy Springfield, Andy Endsley, Jeanett Sterner, Janie Walenta, Terry Wilson, (middle row) David Ray, John Vick, Mickey Barker, Robert Newsom, (back row) Wade Bartley, Joe Price, Tanner Crump and Greg Anglin. Staff photo by Taylor Nye
SRA, Sen. Hall commend management of Turkey Creek
Environment
Hopkins County emergency management found themselves the recipient of a grant from the Sabine River Authority (SRA) on Thursday as well as a commendation from Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) for their quick and effective response to the diesel spill in Miller Grove, which unleashed as much as 15,000 gallons of diesel into Turkey Creek and threatened the water supply at Lake Fork, the SRA stated.
Appearing before the commissioners court during a special meeting, the SRA presented emergency management with a check for $20,000. The funds will be used to assist the county with the purchase of emergency management and environmental response equipment, according to a release from SRA.
The initial diesel spill occurred at approximately 6:44 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, near County Road 1130 after a 6-inch rupture in a pipeline that occurred after a two-month maintenance program to a diesel pipeline, according to a release.
According to Hopkins County Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Andy Endsley, the rapid response by the county was the result not only of emergency management and county precincts, but private, local contractors as well.
“This was 14.1 miles from the intake of Lake Fork from our drinking water,” Endsley said. “For our ecosystem, a lot of things went on, but the quick work of workers getting out there … there’s a lot of working things that get involved in this.”
According to Endsley, the spill traveled 1.7 miles down Turkey Creek before being abated by a dirt rampart constructed by the rapid response team.
“We’re very fortunate a lot of it was dry,” Endsley said. “We had pockets here and there, but when you have over 600,000 gallons of product going into the creek, it doesn’t take long for it to spread.”
“There are a lot of agencies involved in this, but we’re here today to thank Hopkins County,” said Troy Henry, regional manager of the SRA. “Your employees were out there in the dark. … This incident could have impacted Lake Fork reservoir. Everything ended well, and we’ve seen incidents in the past where it didn’t go so well. We just can’t thank enough for the response and for hanging in there. Y’all are still monitoring things, and we appreciate that.”
According to a release from the SRA, this grant from their community assistance grant program in fact fell across four different project categories: water supply, wastewater management, water conservation and water quality.
John Vick, representing Hall’s office, read in a resolution that Hopkins County had a “prompt and efficient response” to the ruptured pipeline.
Endsley indicated the grant assistance from the SRA was “very unexpected” but that the county is “very grateful.”
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom told the News-Telegram the same: he said he was “still awestruck.”
“I’m very overwhelmed, but we feel very blessed,” Newsom said.