Kentucky Department of Natural Resources Energy and Environmental Cabinet spokesperson Evan Satterwhite told ILN that a leaking line had been quickly repaired and Tuesday morning’s spill was being dealt with under the agency’s normal protocol.

“The source was determined to be a broken valve on a slurry line located approximately 300 yards south of the [company’s] office building in the vicinity of the fresh water storage tank and freshwater pond,” said a DNR report provided to ILN.

“The pumps were shut down immediately.”

Satterwhite said that water samples had been taken and sent to a lab. The DNR noted that Massey itself had reported the incident.

The producer did not release any public statement on the situation Wednesday.

Martin County Emergency Services director Lee Gauze told local newspaper the Williamson Daily News that the spill did not pose any public health threat.

“There have been a lot of rumors,” he said of the level of misinformation released about the situation.

“But it was not a bad spill. We did not evacuate, no actual slurry got into the creek,” he said, adding that the spilled material consisted of black muddy water.

Satterwhite noted that the Martin County Coal incident was in no way related to an impoundment failure that occurred in the area in 2000. That slurry spill was recorded as the worst inland environmental disaster in the US.

Massey spokesperson Jeff Gillenwater confirmed an incident Tuesday afternoon to ILN but said that information was still being gathered.

“I do know that some gray water ran through one of our ponds,” he noted.

The Martin County Coal complex includes an underground room and pillar mine as well as a surface operation and preparation plant, where trucks pick up output for rail and barge delivery.