Maintenance work at Big Rivers Electric Corporation’s Wilson Station in Ohio County resulted in a temporary dust cloud and precautionary medical treatment for three contractors, according to a statement from company officials. Power plant operations at Wilson Station were not impacted.
The Wilson Station is located at 5663 State Route 85 West in Centertown near the border between Ohio and McLean counties.
According to a release from Big Rivers, shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 3 contractors were working to unplug the plant’s west silo which contains fly ash, a byproduct from the power generation process. As the silo was unplugged, the material began flowing out of an inspection door near where the contractors were working.
The three contractors were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. All other employees and contractors were accounted for and safe, according to Big Rivers.
According to the release, “the dislodged materials resulted in a temporary dust cloud forming over the plant site and a brief nearby road closure for safety. Wilson Station staff quickly isolated the silo section and closed off any additional flow.”
At least one Evansville-based TV news station initially reported that the silo had fallen, but that was inaccurate.
Big Rivers officials said the structural integrity of the silo was not impacted.
The road has been also reopened to traffic.
“We want to thank Ohio County emergency crews for their quick response this morning,” said Big Rivers President & CEO Bob Berry. “The Wilson Station Emergency Response Team also moved quickly to reach the contractors and evaluate the area for safety risks. I commend Wilson Station employees for taking immediate action to correct the problem.”
Big Rivers is in contact with the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection. Any site cleanup will be done following EPA guidelines.
