Minor discharge of crude oil from an abandoned on-shore production facility in the Guffey Oil Field located on land owned by the United States Forest Service (“USFS”) in the Allegheny National Forest, Lafayette Township, McKean Co., PA.
Crude oil has discharged into and a substantial threat of the discharge of crude oil onto the adjoining shorelines of and into the navigable waters of the United States (Town Line Run) continues. Town Line Run is a tributary to Kinzua Creek, which is a tributary to the Allegheny River.
Based upon the OSC’s observations during the initial preliminary removal assessment, the abandoned on-shore production facility located in the Guffey Oil Field is comprised of the leaking oil field pit, an abandoned well which has gone artesian, and a number of oil water separators in various degrees of disrepair.
On 04/25/2015, while fishing with his father, a private citizen observed what he believed to be an abandoned well discharging oil and/or gas into “Guffey Creek”.
On 04/26/2015, while attending EPAR3-sponsored HazMat Technician refresher training in St. Marys, PA, the private citizen informed and discussed the incident with OSC Zenone.
On 04/27/2015, in follow-up to the discussion with OSC Zenone, the private citizen reported the incident to the National Response Center (“NRC”), and NRC #1114783 was assigned to the incident. OSC Zenone followed-up via telecoms with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Oil & Gas Management Program (OGMP) and offered federal assistance as may be necessary.
In early November, 2015, while grouse hunting, another private citizen’s son stepped into a pit of oil field waste along an unnamed tributary which flows into Kinzua Creek just downstream of the Guffey Bridge. The private citizen spoke with the USFS, PADEP, and PA Fish and Boat Commission (“PAFBC” regarding the incident, describing his concern that the oil field waste (crude oil) discharging into the unnamed tributary of and then into Kinzua Creek, and that both streams hold trout (stocked and native.) The USFS informed the private citizen that it would take a look at it. PADEP-OGMP found the pit, flagged it, and informed the private citizen that PADEP-OGMP unfortunately had no funding for clean ups of this nature. PAFBC advised the private citizen to contact the McKean County Conservation District (“MCCD”) for possible help in finding a solution.
On 12/29/2015, MCCD contacted OSC Zenone, requested federal assistance. With the oil field pit described as being is within feet of an unnamed tributary with a drain line running directly in the stream, OSC Zenone surmised the incident was similar to, if not the same, as NRC 1114783.
From 12/29/2015 through 04/08/2016, OSC Zenone continued to monitor the situation via telecoms with MCCD, pending the reduction of snow and ice on USFS roads and weather conditions conducive to an on-site removal assessment.
On 04/08/2016, via happenstance, OSC Zenone met the private citizen while addressing other regional commitments in nearby Westline, McKean Co., PA; discussed the incident and the private citizen offered to escort the OSC and MCCD to the incident location.
On 04/15/2016, OSC Zenone, accompanied by MCCD and the private citizen, conducted an on-site removal assessment, determined that the abandoned on-shore facility had discharged crude oil and continued to pose a substantial threat to discharge crude oil into the navigable waters of the United States. In follow-up to the on-site removal assessment, review of topographic maps confirmed that “Guffy Creek” (as described by the first private citizen) and the unnamed tributary of Kinzua Creek (as described by the second private citizen) was Town Line Run.
On 04/17/2016, OSC Zenone followed-up preliminary on-site assessment, returned on-site and deployed sorbent boom at the outfall from the oil field pit and delineated the perimeter of the oil field pit with caution tape as a warning to persons who may be in the area fishing, hunting and/or hiking in this area of the Allegheny National Forest.
OSC Zenone accessed CANAPS and obtained an initial project ceiling of $5000 to continue removal assessment (e.g. feasibility of removal action); continue maintenance of defensive actions to mitigate the effects of a discharge and of the substantial threat of discharge of an unknown quantity of crude oil onto the adjoining shorelines of and into Town Line Run; continue efforts to the extent practicable to identify potentially responsible parties; continue efforts to the extent practicable to identify and provide the Responsible Party(ies) an opportunity to voluntarily and promptly perform removal actions; and/or in absence of a Responsible Party(ies), conduct the removal actions necessary to mitigate the effects of a discharge and of the substantial threat of discharge of an unknown quantity of crude oil onto the adjoining shorelines of and into Town Line Run.
