Fort Belvoir Army Garrison facility personnel notified the NRC of a dumping of oil/diesel fuel into a sanitary/storm drain on 05/17/2011 at 1743hrs. The dumping was initially discovered in a nearby open drainage ditch on 05/17/2011 at 1030hrs. The spill was reported as a 10 gallon release from unknown causes.
On 5/17/2011 at 1800hrs FOSC Fitzsimmons received a direct request for assistance from Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), on scene personnel, regarding spill and characterizing it as a 300 gallon dumping. DEQ personnel claimed that Fort Belvoir Environmental & Natural Resource Division personnel were non responsive to requests from DEQ to respond adequately to minimize release to nearby Accotink Creek (trib to Potomac R.). FOSC Fitzsimmons responded to provide cleanup lead on 05/18/2011.
On 5/18/2011 FOSC arrived in morning hours. Facility reps had not yet hired cleanup contractor and it appeared that most of the mitigation and prevention work, performed by the base Fire Department personnel, along with the oil had washed away into a fast moving Accotink Creek due to heavy rains overnite. Clean up contractor, Clean Harbors, Laurel, Md. finally arrived on site at 1500hrs to commence minor polishing activities within the contaminated open ditchline.
FOSC conducted an After Action Review meeting with facility personnel and lawyers on May 26, 2011.
