Methanol barge removed from McAlpine Dam, officials confirm

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A methanol barge that was lodged against the McAlpine Dam for more than a week was dislodged on Friday afternoon.

Work continued on removal of the barge early Friday after being stopped due to severe storms. Crews began to transfer methanol from the barge earlier in the week into a receiver vessel.

As of 3 p.m. on Friday, Louisville Metro Emergency Services said the tank barge was removed after determining enough methanol was transferred to safely pull the barge off the structure.

Air and water testing continued through Friday afternoon, continuing to show no detection of methanol in the air or water. More than 2,700 air quality samples have been taken since the barge was dislodged on March 28.

Louisville Water also confirmed the drinking water has remained safe following the incident and has had no impact on local water quality.

One dry cargo barge carrying a load of corn remains stranded on the dam, according to officials, and on-scene salvage experts will continue recovery efforts throughout the weekend.

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