U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Atlas Excavating Oil Spill - Removal Polrep
Initial and Final Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region V
Subject: POLREP #1
Initial and Final PolRep
Atlas Excavating Oil Spill
Z5KP
Indianapolis, IN
Latitude: 39.7967319 Longitude: -86.1632005

To: Sherry Fielding, U.S. EPA
Jason El-Zein, U.S. EPA
Linda Nachowicz, U.S. EPA
Mark Durno, U.S. EPA
Beverly Kush, U.S. EPA
Carol Ropski, U.S. EPA
Jeff Kelley, U.S. EPA
John Glover, U.S. EPA
Michael Chezik, Department of Interior
Don Laisure, U.S. Coast Guard
Harry Atkinson, IDEM
Max Michael, IDEM
Amy Hartsock, IDEM
Jason Sewell, IDEM
Pam Thevenow, Marion County Public Health Department
Jeff Larmore, Marion County Health Department
Eric Kaufman, MCPHD
Jason Doerflein, MCPHD
From: Shelly Lam, On-Scene Coordinator
Date: 5/19/2011
Reporting Period: May 18-19, 2011

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: Z5KP    Contract Number:  
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date:  
Response Authority: OPA    Response Type: Emergency
Response Lead: PRP    Incident Category: Removal Action
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date: 5/18/2011    Start Date: 5/18/2011
Demob Date: 5/19/2011    Completion Date: 5/19/2011
CERCLIS ID:    RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:    State Notification:
FPN#: E11520    Reimbursable Account #:


1.1.1 Incident Category
Oil Spill

1.1.2 Site Description

1.1.2.1 Location
The Site is a construction location in Fall Creek located at 2160 Boulevard Place in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  Site coordinates are latitude 39.7967319 north and longitude 86.1632005 west.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
At 0900 hours on May 18, 2011, an excavator, owned and operated by Atlas Excavating, tipped over while performing construction in Fall Creek.  Diesel fuel and hydraulic oil from the excavator discharged into Fall Creek.  The Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) requested assistance from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Shelly Lam.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
OSC Lam arrived on-site at 1300 hours on May 18, 2011 and observed the excavator discharging fuel into the creek.  EPA, MCPHD, and IDEM conducted reconnaissance downstream along Fall Creek and the White River.  The agencies observed sheen as far downstream on the White River as New York Street.

2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative
On May 18-19, EPA assisted MCPHD and IDEM with an oil spill on Fall Creek that resulted when an excavator tipped into the creek discharging diesel fuel and oil.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
During the reporting period, the following activities were conducted:

  • Atlas Excavating made multiple attempts to remove the excavator from the creek. The PRP brought a crane on-site to lift the excavator from the Boulevard Place bridge.  However, a City of Indianapolis structural engineer determined that the bridge would not support the weight of the crane lifting the excavator.  It was also determined that the crane could not be placed in the creek to lift the excavator.  Atlas Excavating brought additional heavy equipment on-site to build a causeway to the excavator.  At approximately 2100 hours on May 18, two additional excavators working along the causeway were able to tip up the fallen excavator.
  • Atlas Excavating hired Industrial Service Group (ISG) to conduct spill recovery and cleanup operations.  ISG placed sorbent boom downstream of the Site to capture sheen.  ISG also recovered pockets of oil using a vacuum truck.
  • MCPHD, IDEM, and EPA conducted downstream reconnaissance and observed sheen as far downstream as the White River at the New York Street bridge on May 18.  Confirmation reconnsaissance was conducted on May 19 after the excavator was righted.  Sheen was not observed at any of the downstream locations.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
Atlas Excavating of West Lafayette, Indiana is the PRP.  Atlas took the lead in stabilizing and mitigating the spill.  OSC Lam issued a Notice of Federal Interest (NOFI) to Atlas on May 18th.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal
Sorbent boom Solid Pending     Pending NA Pending
Oil/water mixture Liquid Pending Pending  NA Pending
           



  2.2 Planning Section
   

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
Response activities were completed on May 19, 2011.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
The PRP's contractor will dispose of waste generated during the response.

2.2.2 Issues
None

  2.3 Logistics Section
    Not applicable (NA)

  2.4 Finance Section
    2.4.1 Narrative
OSC Lam requested $10,000 on May 18th from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF).

   
Estimated Costs *
  Budgeted Total To Date Remaining % Remaining
Extramural Costs
Intramural Costs
USEPA - Direct $5,000.00 $0.00 $5,000.00 100.00%
USEPA - InDirect $5,000.00 $0.00 $5,000.00 100.00%
 
Total Site Costs $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00 100.00%

* The above accounting of expenditures is an estimate based on figures known to the OSC at the time this report was written. The OSC does not necessarily receive specific figures on final payments made to any contractor(s). Other financial data which the OSC must rely upon may not be entirely up-to-date. The cost accounting provided in this report does not necessarily represent an exact monetary figure which the government may include in any claim for cost recovery.


  2.5 Other Command Staff
    2.5.1 Safety Officer
Atlas assumed the lead for Safety during operations, and had a Safety Officer on-site. In addition, the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) provided safety assistance for water operations.  Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) was on-site overseeing operations.

2.6 Liaison Officer
NA

2.7 Information Officer


2.7.1 Public Information Officer
No requests were received for media interviews.

2.7.2 Community Involvement Coordinator
NA

3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command
Unified Command consisted of Atlas Excavating, MCPHD, IDEM, and EPA.  MCPHD was the lead for local, state, and federal agencies.

3.2 Cooperating Agencies
The following cooperating agencies and companies were on-site during response operations:

IOSHA
IFD
ISG
City of Indianapolis and contractors
FCCI Insurance
Maxim Crane

4. Personnel On Site
  The following numbers of personnel were on-site during response operations:

Atlas Excavating - 10
MCPHD - 2
IDEM - 1
EPA - 1
IOSHA - 2
IFD - 1
ISG - 4
City of Indianapolis and contractors - 4
FCCI Insurance - 2
Maxim Crane - 2

5. Definition of Terms
 
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
IDEM Indiana Department of Environmental Management
IFD Indiana Fire Department
IOSHA Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration
ISG Industrial Services Group
MCPHD Marion County Public Health Department
NA Not Applicable
NOFI Notice of Federal Interest
OSC On-Scene Coordinator
OSLTF Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund
PolRep Pollution Report
PRP Potentially Responsible Party


6. Additional sources of information
  6.1 Internet location of additional information/report
For additional information, refer to www.epaosc.org/atlasexcavating.

6.2 Reporting Schedule
No additional Pollution Reports (PolRep) will be submitted.

7. Situational Reference Materials
  NA

POLREP #1 Last Updated 5/19/2011