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Manweiler Trucking Spill

 
Site Contact:
Martin Mccomb
On-Scene Coordinator

(mccomb.martin@epa.gov)

Site Location:
911 Motor City Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
 response.epa.gov/ManweilerTruckingSpill

On August 26, 2016, the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) reported an accident involving a fuel tanker belonging to Manweiler Transport. The accident happened at approximately 0400 near 911 Motor City Drive in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado. CSFD estimated from the size of the tanker and the amount of recovered material that nearly 6000 gallons of unleaded gasoline and 2000 gallons of diesel fuel were released. CSFD reported that all but a few hundred gallons of this released material had entered into a storm drain that empties into Bear Creek just above its confluence with Fountain Creek. Fountain Creek was impacted and a fish kill was reported by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

EPA's Emergency Response Unit deployed to the incident and insured the collection of recoverable product. A map of the response can be viewed at https://r8.ercloud.org/manweilertruckingspill/.

View Map


View of where the tanker truck overturned on Motor City Drive. Tanker overturned at approximately 4 am on August 26, 2016 with approximately 6,000 gallons of gasoline and 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel. View of berms placed on Motor City Drive to capture remnant gasoline and diesel spilled from overturned tanker prior to the contaminants reaching the storm sewer. Clean up contractor, Belfor, using a vac-truck to suck up contaminants which were collected by one of four berms set up on Motor City Drive. Belfor contractors “jetting” stormwater sewer in order to wash the contaminants from the sewer. Storm Water Drain number 2 located east of the spill area behind the nearby car dealership. Photo taken post cleanout. Note the caution tape. The hole has been temporarily covered with plywood. No visible sheen post cleanout. Outfall of the stormwater sewer into Bear Creek near the overturned tanker. Water flows away from the camera, through the highway culvert and into Fountain Creek. Sheen coming from the outfall of the stormwater sewer and into Bear Creek. Absorbent tubes placed in Bear Creek just downstream of the stormwater sewer and on the other side of the I25 highway culvert. Secondary absorbent tubes placed in Bear Creek just downstream of the stormwater sewer discharge on the downstream end of the I25 highway culvert. Belfor contractor is using a vac-truck to remove contaminants from the creek. Absorbent tubes on Bear Creek before confluence with Fountain Creek. Response contractor continued to monitor and observe this area, switching out tubes when needed. Confluence of Bear Creek and Fountain Creek, no visible sheen or odor on this side of Fountain Creek. Response team is deploying absorbent tubes and removing product using a vacuum truck. Water and product in front of the closed agricultural water intake near the Las Vegas Waste Water Treatment Facility. Product was approximately 6 inches deep, 15 feet across, and 60 feet long. Photo taken at 1250 on 8/26/2016. Sample TS-SW-01-20160826 was collected from this location. Sample TS-SW-02-20160826 was collected from the opposite side of the gates. The sample did not contain any product. Belfor removing diesel product from the agricultural water diversion near the Las Vegas Waste Water Facility. Water in front of the closed agricultural water intake near the Las Vegas Waste Water Treatment Facility. Photo taken at 1811 on 8/26/2016 after product had been removed. Product at the agricultural water intake near the Las Vegas Waste Water Treatment Facility. The gates were left closed overnight to collect any sheen and product that continued to flow down stream from the spill site. There is a small amount of product in this image. This product was removed. Looking down on the East bank. Visible sheen along the slower moving water. No staining on the bank. No odor along the bank but slight odor when you walk away from the river. Observation area down river from the confluence and on the east bank of Fountain Creek. Slower moving water with light visible sheen. Inorganic odor is present. Previous observation location of 8-26-2016. Visible sheen and slight odor still present on 8-27-16. No visible staining on the bank. Observation location in on the west side of the Fountain Creek. Previous observation location of 8-26-2016. No visible sheen or odor on 8-27-16. No visible staining on the bank. Observation location in on the west side of the Fountain Creek. Sample Location 01 Sampling Location 03 Sample Location 04 Sample Location 05 Sample Location 06 Sample Location 07 START obtaining water sample from flow control structure along Fountain Creek where the second boom was located. Precautionary boom was deployed by the Fountain Fire Department near 323 Grinde Drive (Boom 1) at approximately 1100 on August 26. The Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC) had this boom removed as only a moderate amount of sheen was witnessed at this location. Pueblo County Fire and Sheriff Departments constructing boom 3 on Fountain Creek near Piñon Bridge and I25 mile marker 110. The FOSC directed the responders to stop excavating in the river channel and eventually halted the boom deployment due to safety concerns, the unlikelihood of product reaching this location and the overall inability of boom to collect sheen. Boom the morning after the FOSC halted its deployment and before it was retrieved. Sample TS-SW-08-20160827 was collected at this location.
For additional information, visit the Pollution/Situation Report (Pol/Sitreps) section.