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The Ashland oil spill was an oil spill that occurred on January 2, 1988 into the Ohio River near the town of Floreffe, Pennsylvania, approximately 20 miles upstream from the city of Pittsburgh.

Cause
Ashland Oil Company Inc. (currently known as Ashland Inc.) owned a facility near the Ohio River in Floreffe, PA. On January 2nd, 1988, a four-million gallon tank was used for the first time after being dismantled (from a Ohio location) and rebuilt in Pennsylvania. It was this tank, holding approximately 3.5 million gallons of diesel oil, that failed and collapsed, dumping nearly 1 million gallons of diesel oil into a storm sewer that leading to the Monongahela River. At 4:58pm, a worker checked the tank levels and verified the tank was almost full. At 5:02, when the worker was walking away from the tank, he heard a loud boom and turned to find the roof of the tank collapsed. Ashland Co. later took full responsibility for the incident, accepting that they did violate industry standards when reconstructing the tank.

Effects
From the Monongahela River, the oil made its way down into the Ohio River, contaminating the drinking water for about 1 million people throughout Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. About 23,000 residents of Pittsburgh were without water for a week. About 1,200 residents of Jefferson Borough were asked to evacuate due to fear of an explosion in the area from a gasoline leak. Water shortages occurred for areas as far as 200 miles down river. This oil spill was one of the largest inland oil spills at the time of occurrence. The U.S. Government estimated the cost of damages were between $10 and $15 million.

Wildlife in the region were harmed by the oil as well. Fish and mussels were affected as well as 2,000-4,000 water fowl were killed in the incident.

Response and clean up
The first Federal government agents on scene were the United States Coast Guard, and the Environmental Protection Agency acted as on scene coordinators throughout the clean up process. Multiple obstacles were faced throughout the clean up efforts. First, major water shortages down river placed potable water in high demand. Also, cold temperatures caused freezing and extreme conditions throughout the river, hindering the clean up process. Lastly, the river itself had few access points, making it difficult to bring in heavy equipment for clean up in certain parts of the river. Out of the approximate 1 million gallons spilled, about 200,000 gallons were recovered in the process.

The following agencies took part in the clean up process:
 * U.S. Coast Guard (Second and Fifth District, MSO Pittsburgh, National Strike Force LANTAREA Strike Team)
 * U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Regions III, IV, V)
 * U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Huntington, Louisville)
 * U.S. Department of Interior (Philadelphia, Chicago)
 * National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Ann Arbor, Rockville, Seattle)
 * Occupational Safety and Health Administration
 * Federal Emergency Management Agency
 * Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
 * Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
 * West Virginia Department of Natural Resources
 * West Virginia Department of Health
 * Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
 * Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission
 * Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection

Multiple techniques were used to contain and remove oil from the river. Containment and deflection booms were used to contain oil that had not emulsified. Barges were also used to deflect and recover oil. Two self-propelled suction barges were also used to vacuum oil from the water and store in the vessel. In total 150 people, 11 vacuum trucks, 3 cranes, 10 barges/towboats, and 20,000 feet of boom were used throughout the clean up process.

Cold temperatures and rocky and steep terrain hindered workers throughout the clean up process. Cold temperatures not only caused mechanical issues, but also affected workers as well. Hypothermia increased and temperatures became unbearable enough that work had to be suspended throughout clean up. Ice throughout the river made it difficult to maneuver large mechanical clean up equipment and caused oil to emulsify faster and stabilize, increasing the potential for water contamination. Access to certain parts of the river were nearly impossible due to steep banks and rocky terrain.

Legal aftermath
Ashland was fined $2.25 million by the Federal Government. It was deemed the largest fined levied on an oil company after a fuel spill. . Ashland was charged with two misdemeanors: one for violating the Clean Water Act and another for violating the Federal Refuse Act. Ashland paid about $18 million in clean up fees and civil lawsuits from those distressed by the experience.