At approximately 1330hrs on February 21, 2011, black oil was discovered floating along the north bank of the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal at mile post 314.7. The spill was reported to the National Response Center by the operator of a petroleum products terminal located at 4805 South Harlem Avenue in Forest View, Illinois. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) was deployed to investigate and assisted the operator of the terminal in placing boom to contain the floating oil. The USCG returned to the scene on February 22, 2011 and contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct an emergency response.
EPA On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) Sam Borries and Paul Ruesch were deployed to investigate and conduct clean-up activities. The EPA OSCs investigated the extent of the spill and assessed the potential source of the mystery oil upstream of the scene. The majority of the oil was contained within temporary boom deployed around two large barges docked at the petroleum products terminal dock.
EPA contractors were deployed to the site to begin conducting emergency removal operations. A crew began conducting the clean-up by utilizing absorbents and a vacuum truck to remove the floating oil and remove oily debris within and around the containment area. The majority of the black oil contained within the temporary boom was collected by the end of February 22, 2011.
Clean-up operations continued and concluded on February 23, 2011 to remove the remaining oil, oily debris and contaminated absorbents. In addition, power washing of the barges, temporary boom and equipment was conducted. All contaminated debris from the operation was collected and removed from the site.
