GLASGOW, Ky. (WBKO) – A black liquid seeping from the ground along Oil Well Road raised concerns in Barren County this week, prompting a resident to report it to the EPA.
As it turns out, the agency has been aware of the issue for decades.
Barren County Emergency Management Director Garland Gilliam said an anonymous tip was relayed to EPA officials Wednesday, describing what appeared to be an oil spill just outside of Glasgow.
The affected area, located in a karst spring along Boyd’s Creek, has emitted a strong sulfur odor for years due to the presence of several abandoned crude oil wells.
Since 1983, the EPA has been working to plug these wells and address ongoing oil seepage in the area.
According to the agency, 15 leaking, abandoned wells have been located and plugged over the years, with most of that work occurring between 1991 and 1993.
“The leaking wells have been the result of historically poor drilling and plugging techniques combined with the particular hydrogeologic conditions in the area,” the EPA said.
Despite efforts to mitigate the issue, two additional oil seeps were discovered in January 2025 along a bedrock outcropping near the EPA’s oil sump collection building. That facility, installed in the mid-1990s, has collected nearly 40,000 gallons of crude oil over the years.
“This oil would have otherwise discharged directly into navigable waters of the United States,” the EPA noted.
EPA crews continue to deploy absorbent booms near the seeps to minimize contamination of Boyd’s Creek, with further investigations into abandoned subsurface oil wells and boreholes expected this spring.
Gilliam told WBKO that heavy rains often cause the old oil wells to overflow, turning the ground black with crude.
While he receives at least two calls a year about the issue, he reassured residents that the situation is long-standing and actively managed by federal officials.
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