NRG Accepts Responsibility for Oil Sheen on the Potomac

Energy company NRG accepted responsibility for the oil sheen that appeared on the Potomac River last week, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

An equipment malfunction within NRG's Dickerson, Maryland, power plant led to a leak of an estimated 100-150 gallons of lubricating oil into the river, creating the sheen.

Investigators interviewed businesses and facility owners along the Potomac and the Monocacy rivers to find the cause.

NRG agreed to cooperate with cleanup.

The oil was never seen near WSSC's Potomac River intake, and there was no impact to drinking water quality, according to a news release from WSSC. WSSC said it placed one boom in the river to divert any floating substance away from the intake Nov. 28 and another Dec. 1 as an additional precaution. All maintenance requiring flushing pipes was halted.

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