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Grayling Creek Oil Spill

 
Site Contact:
Valeriy Bizyayev
Federal On-Scene Coordinator

(Bizyayev.Valeriy@epa.gov)

Site Location:
U.S. Highway 191
Mile Post 16
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
 response.epa.gov/GraylingCreekOilSpill
NRC#: 1344974

On August 19, 2022, the National Park Service (NPS) reported a discharge of gasoline from a tanker pup trailer on Highway 191, 16.5 miles north of West Yellowstone, Montana. The spill location is located in Yellowstone National Park, in the State of Wyoming.  The incident occurred in the early morning, around 4 am, during a routine fuel delivery run.  The pup trailer, carrying 4,800 gallons of gasoline rolled and lost the entire capacity of the load. No injuries or fire were reported from the incident. 

 

The West Yellowstone Fire Department, NPS personnel, and contractors for the Responsible Party responded to the scene immediately. On Site personnel, quickly began counter measures and containment. Product from the trailer did enter the western wetland adjacent to the highway. The wetland feeds directly into Grayling Creek, with potential down stream impacts to the State of Montana.   There has been no discharge of gasoline observed into Grayling Creek, only into the wetland area.

 

On August 19, 2022 U.S. EPA Region 8  deployed a Federal On-Scene Coordinator and a support contractor to the incident. EPA staff arrived on Site on August 20, 2022 to provide technical direction, assessment, stakeholder coordination,  and direction/oversight of the clean up operations.


Petroleum (gasoline) impacted water in the wetland area. Location is on the western side of Highway 191. Minor containment and catch basin created to help act as a control/collection point. Overturned tanker pup trailer responsible for the discharge of gasoline into adjacent wetlands. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. View of the gasoline tanker trailer that caused the discharge of gasoline to the adjacent wetland. Spill pathway can be scene off the roadway into the right of way. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. Distant view of the truck accident, gasoline can be seen discharging onto western road embankment. Incident occurred near mile maker 16 on Highway 191. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. Overturned truck with visible gasoline on the road and in the near by ditch. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. Thick vegetation in wetland consisting of tall wetland grass and willow trees. Vegetation appears healthy with no evidence of gasoline contamination present. Photo taken 70 yards west of spill location, on backside of wetland area, facing northeast towards Highway 191. Responsible party contractor placed absorbent pads throughout the wetland to absorb gasoline. Absorbent pads were used instead of excavation and pumping to reduce the impact to the ecosystem. Photo taken 50 yards northwest of spill location, facing southeast. Absorbent pads in a pocket of gasoline impacted water and vegetation. Gasoline contamination formed in small pools, following the water pathways of the wetland. Photo taken 30 yards west of spill location. Additional absorbent pads downstream (South) of the incident. Absorbent pad placement shows sporadic distribution of gasoline contamination. Photo taken 50 yards south of incident, facing north. Confluence of wetland and Greyling Creek. No evidence of gasoline contamination in Greyling Creek. Photo taken 300 yards south of incident, facing north, from western embankment of Greyling Creek. Absorbent boom at edge of wetland, just before confluence into Greyling Creek. No evidence of gasoline contamination present on the absorbent boom, indicating gasoline contamination was contained further upstream. Photo taken 290 yards south from incident, facing north. View of wetland area from Highway 191, demonstrating thickness of willow vegetation. Photo is facing west, 260 yards south of spill location. Absorbent boom placed along one of the tributaries flowing through the wetland. Photo taken 150 yards southwest of incident, facing northeast towards Highway 191. Absorbent boom saturated with gasoline, 70 yards south of the incident, 30 yards west of Highway 191. Boom had already been replaced, once prior to this photograph. Gasoline impacted water downgradient of spill site, 15 yards west of Highway 191. Absorbent pads and collection basins were deployed by the responsible party's contractors. Photo facing southwest Overview of spill location on west embankment on Highway 191. The responsible party's contractors staged pumps and hosing to skim gasoline from the water surface. Photo facing southwest. The responsible party's contractors staged two 10, 000 gallon frac tanks to store gasoline impacted water and pure product pumped from the wetland and the spill location. Photo taken from western embankment of Highway 191, 130 yards southeast from spill location, facing southeast Responsible party contractors skimming gasoline from wetland pond adjacent to incident. Gasoline impacted water was pumped from the spill location to the frac tanks staged further down the road. Photo facing northwest. Pocket of gasoline within wetland, approximately 30 yards downstream of spill location. The responsible party contractor noted numerous pockets of gasoline in this area. Photo facing west, towards wetland area. Area with heavy gasoline contamination, about 30 yards downstream of spill. Excavation of area will occur to remove bulk gasoline contamination. Photo taken 30 yards downstream on incident, facing northwest. Responsible party's contractors removing gasoline impacted vegetation and debris floating in the wetland near the spill location. Photo taken facing northwest Responsible party's contractor removing gasoline from a contaminated section of wetland. Pumps were used as gasoline impacted water was discovered throughout area. Photo taken 30 yards south of incident location, facing west. Yellowstone Park Fire Department on standby for fire suppression due to high concentrations of gasoline fumes and potential of excavator tracks to spark and ignite fumes. Photo taken 45 yards southeast on incident, facing east. Responsible party's contractor skimming oil from spill location. The blue poly drum allowed for more effecient recovery as only the gasoline impacted water near the surface was removed. Photo taken facing northwest. The responsible party's contractors continue removal of gasoline impacted soil and sediment in heavily contaminated area 30 yards downstream of spill location. Photo taken from western embankment of Highway 191, facing northwest. The responsible party's contractor continue removal of gasoline impacted soil and vegetation from heavily impacted area 30 yards downstream of incident. Gasoline impacted soil and vegetation was trucked to a nearby staging area pending transportation to a disposal facility. Photo taken from western embankment of Highway 191, facing northeast. Excavation of heavily contaminated area 30 yards downstream of spill location. Large pockets of gasoline impacted water can be observed in the center of the photo. Photo taken from western embankment of Highway 191, facing northwest. Spill location after pumping and excavation. A temporary berm(bottom left) was installed by the responsible party's contractor while further excavation of the spill location began. Photo taken facing northwest. Berm installed at spill location during removal of gasoline impacted vegetation and sediment. Photo taken facing southwest. Excavation area 30 yards downstream of spill location. Pure gasoline present in center puddle. Photo taken from western embankment of Highway 191, facing south. Responsible party's contractor continues removal of gasoline impacted sediment at spill location. Photo taken from western embankment of Highway 191, facing northwest. Additional pure gasoline was discovered in willow area between the pine trees in the center of the photo. A channel will be excavated through the willows to remove the gasoline. Channel will be 6-12 inches deep and 1-2 excavation buckets wide. Photo taken from western embankment of Highway 191, facing northwest. Excavation of contaminated channel between spill location and area 30 yards downstream. The responsible party's contractor took special care not to destroy the pine trees on either side of the channel. Photo taken facing north, from western embankment of Highway 191. Beginning of excavation channel with gasoline impacted water present throughout channel. Photo is facing northwest, taken from western embankment of Highway 191. Excavation of channel between spill area and contaminated area 30 yards downstream. The responsible party's contractors had spotters near pine trees to ensure no damage was done. Photo facing northwest, taken from western embankment of Highway 191. Completed excavation channel. Channel width was restricted to protect adjacent trees. Pure gasoline in foreground will be removed via pumping. Photo facing north, taken from western embankment of Highway 191. Seepage of petroleum impacted water (foreground) and pure product (beneath grass) within excavation channel. Photo facing west, taken from western embankment of Highway 191, 25 yards downstream of spill location. Pure gasoline seeping into excavation area from western embankment of Highway 191 at spill location. Photo facing west. Installation of a catch basin at spill location to capture pure gasoline seeping downgradient from western embankment of Highway 191. Photo taken facing southwest at spill location. Complete catch basin at spill location to capture gasoline seeping from road embankment. Gasoline was pumped into totes nearby. Photo taken facing southwest, at spill location. The responsible party's contractor completed excavation of 2nd collection point in area 30 yards downstream to check for possible plume migration. No underground migration was observed in this area. Photo taken facing west, 30 yards downstream of incident, from western embankment of Highway 191. Small amount of rainbow sheen present at Greyling Creek and wetland confluence. Contamination is seeping from bank, absorbent booms 10 yards upstream show no gasoline contamination. Photo taken 300 yards south of incident on Greyling Creek western bank. Responsible party's contractors begin excavation of a larger, French drain style collection basin. Collection basin will consist of three 55 gallon perforated drums for gasoline to infiltrate through. Photo taken facing northwest at spill location. Pure gasoline seeping into excavation area of large collection basin. Gasoline was draining at an accelerated rate, estimated around 5 gallons an hour. Photo facing north, taken at spill location. Large quantities of gasoline flowing into excavation area at spill location. Gasoline appears to be coming from western road embankment and flowing down gradient. Photo taken facing north at spill location Large collection basin excavated at spill location. Gasoline is pumped through a 55 gallon perforated poly drum for gasoline infiltration. Additional drums will be added to provide more extraction points. Photo taken facing northwest, at spill location. Responsible party's contractors pump clean water back into wetland from excavation area. Water was misted at a variety of locations in the wetland to avoid a water surge downstream. Photo taken 40 yds downstream of spill on Highway 191 western embankment. Responsible party's contractors begin backfilling clean excavation area with NPS approved topsoil. Area will be restored with vegetation at a later date. Photo taken facing southwest, 30 yds downstream of spill area on western embankment of Highway 191. Responsible party's contractors begin installation of temporary extraction wells. The responsible party's contractors will periodically pump all extraction wells to remove contamination. Photo taken facing SE at spill location. 3 extraction wells will be placed in each excavated area. Perforated corrugated hose was anchored vertically with wash rock. Each well has a different screening interval for gasoline to seep into. Photo taken facing north, at spill location. Temporary extraction wells lined with landscaping fabric and backfilled with road fill. Each extraction well is 6.5 6 temporary extraction wells installed. Final grading in progress to follow the grade of the western embankment of Highway 191. Photo taken facing north at spill location. Responsible party's contractors install rolled up absorbent pads tied to twine to recover gasoline in extraction wells. Pads will be rotated every other day. Photo taken facing south, at spill location. Absorbent pads were used to skim product from the surface of the extraction wells. Pads were either expunged of gasoline and returned to the well or swapped for new absorbent rolls. Photo taken facing South, at spill location. Final grading of site completed. Extraction wells will be trimmed closer to the embankment grade so they are less visible. Responsible party's contractors will install grounding rods in the following days. Photo taken facing south, at spill location. Final grading of area south of spill. Responsible party's contractors will revegetate based on NPS approved plan. Photo facing northwest, 50 yards south of spill location.
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