On 3/7/2016 a facility reported (NRC 1142139) a discharge of an unknown amount of oily process water containing vegetable oil into a nearby tributary of Village Creek. Follow up by region telephone duty officer revealed that there is another recent NRC report related to this issue (NRC 1142046) and that a significant amount of untreated process water bypassed an onsite treatment plant and impacted at least two miles of a nearby tributary of Village Creek and Five Mile Creek.
Representatives from the facility have stated that the exact amount discharged is unknown, however it is reported that the plant treats approximately 100,000 gallons per day and has been bypassed since 3/5/2016. The bypass was the result of an overflow caused by a plugged 15 inch line which was only recently discovered.
On 3/7/2016 at 09:30 the facility suspended operations and hired an environmental contractor to clean up impacted areas of a tributary of Village Creek. ADEM has visited the Site to take water quality samples upstream and downstream of the release. Downstream samples indicate low dissolved oxygen and elevated pH and at least a mile and a half of the tributary are impacted by oily water.
OSC Subash Patel mobilized to the Site midday on 3/7/2016 to ensure that cleanup of the discharge was adequate. Upon arrival, it was determined that response activities were underway, however it appears that a substantial amount of the material which was previously visible in the creek is no longer present or recoverable. Region 4 telephone duty officer has coordinated with ADEM and EPA Region 4’s Water Protection Division to confirm there are no impacted drinking water intakes. OSC Patel will return to the Site on 3/8/2016 to confirm that remaining response activities are underway.
