On March 12, 2008, EPA OSC Robert Wise, START and SBCo Petroleum visited the Greka Oil and Gas Williams B Lease Tank Farm. The Williams B Tank Farm is an idle tank farm that was never brought into service by Greka. The tank farm consists of six 10,000 gallon above ground storage tanks, two 10,000 gallon horizontal storage tanks, a horizontal heater treater and a vertical heater treater. There was no secondary containment around the tank farm. The tank farm is bordered on the west by a wash that drains into Cat Canyon Creek. To the north of the site is Cat Canyon Creek. Cat Canyon Creek drains to Sisquoc Creek, which drains to the Santa Maria River, which drains to the Pacific Ocean.
With the exception of horizontal heater treater all of the tanks contain petroleum material (liquid oil, oily sludge, oil water or oily tank bottoms). All tanks except for the horizontal heater treater are actively leaking in multiple places. The ground around the six 10,000 gallon tanks is heavily saturated with oil. These tanks are missing man way covers, heavily corroded and full of holes. Several of these tanks are also missing tops. The vertical heater treater is also actively leaking through a valve in the tank. The horizontal 10,000 gallon tanks contain a heavy asphaltic oil material and possibly water. One tank contains oily sludge approximately three feet from the bottom. This tanks is heavily corroded above the oil line, has numerous holes, is open on the top and is buldging on the ends and sides. The second horizontal tank is 3/4 full and has a thick oil pad on the surface. It is unknown if the entire contents of the tank is oil.
On March 12, 2008, OSC Robert Wise gave a verbal NOFI to Greka to mitigate the problems on-site. On March 13, 2008, inspectors from the Santa Barbara Co. Fire Department (SBCoFD) visited the site at EPA's request and confirmed EPA's findings.
On March 19, 2008, OSC Wise issued a Clean Water Act 311(c) order to Greka for the William B Tank Farm. The Order directs Greka to remove the oil from the tanks, demolish the tanks and remove soil contamination to a depth of three feet bgs. On the afternoon of March 19, 2008, OSC Wise, OSC Chris Weden, ERRS, Greka and Greka's contractors visited the site. At that time, uncovered and uncompacted earthen berms had been placed around all of the tanks. In addition, several places in the area of the six 10,000 gallon tanks that contained heavy oil contamination had been covered in dirt. It should be noted that the berm is not impermeable as required pursuant to the SPCC regulations or County Ordinance.
On March 20, 2008, OSC Wise, PST, County Inspectors and Greka personnel visited the site as part of the County's Greka inspection schedule. During the inspection, SBCOFD informed Greka, that they would be ordering the tank farm abandoned.
