A fisherman reported an oil sheen on the North Raccoon River near Jefferson, Greene County, Iowa, at approximately 1200 noon CDT on September 13, 2012. At approximately 1550 the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) phoned the National Response Center (NRC) to report a mystery sheen on the same water body. The EPA Region 7 opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fune (OSLTF) at 1630 hours following a conference call with IDNR indicating the extent of the spill and the need to address it before the oil impacted a downstream drinking water intake. Follow-up conversations with IDNR field staff out of the Atlantic, Iowa, field office indicated that they had identified a potential source of the spill and a responsible party (RP). On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), Todd Campbell, spoke with IDNR Emergency Response Coordinator, Kathy Lee, who reported that the material in question is used oil; possibly as much as 5,000 gallons (later estimated as potentially up to 15,000 gallons); from an Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) that leaked from a faulty valve. The owner of the tank is Ernie Krieger of Krieger Greenhouses. Mr. Krieger accepts waste oil and burns it as a source of heat to keep his greenhouses warm during cold weather. Reportedly, some time on September 12 or 13, 2012, the facility realized the tank was leaking but did not notify anyone or attempt to stop the leak because it was raining. According to personnel on the scene, the material is heavy and some is sinking and catching in the rocks in the bottom of the river. Reports are that the sheen extends several miles downstream.
IDNR directed that a temporary berm be constructed and an Oil Spill Response Organization (OSRO), Hydroclean, responded and deployed boom as of 2000 hours. There have been no reports of fish kills but the situation will continue to be monitored. IDNR was able to get the RP to accept responsibility for the spill and the clean-up. However, on September 18, 2012, IDNR requested that EPA federalize the scene when the response contractors walked off the scene due to uncertainty of payment from the RP or his insurance company.
EPA mobilized on September 18, 2012 and has taken over lead for directing the response.
