24-Hour response activities continued from January 17, 2012 to January 20, 2012.  START contractor personnel conducted oversight of cleanup operations and air monitoring near the spill site, near the constructed dams on White Ditch, and in the surrounding community.  Sunoco and their contractors conducted cleanup and recovery operations in the spill site and White Ditch.  Sunoco and their contractors conducted air monitoring near the spill site, the constructed dams on White Ditch, and in the surrounding community.

Air

From approximately 1900 on January 16, 2012 to 2350 on January 17, 2012, START contractor personnel collected air monitoring readings at various locations surrounding the spill site and White Ditch, including outside a local day care center, high school, senior citizen's center, post office, and residences near the spill site and White Ditch, using a MultiRAE with a PID to measure total VOCs and an Ultra RAE to measure benzene.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 1.3 ppm (maximum) and benzene readings at or below 0.05 ppm outside the day care center, the high school, the senior citizen's center, and the post office.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 23.8 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings in the evacuated trailer park.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 0.1 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings outside the residence located northwest of Zone 1.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings at the fairgrounds and the concrete facility, which are being used to stage roll off boxes containing contaminated soil.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 7.5 ppm (maximum) and benzene readings at or below 1.75 ppm outside the residences located north of the constructed dams on White Ditch.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings up to 10.1 ppm (maximum) and benzene readings up to 1.75 ppm at the constructed dams on White Ditch.  Four AreaRAE monitors collected continuous VOC readings around the spill site.  START contractor personnel conducted air monitoring in several evacuated homes to allow residents to enter their homes and retrieve their personal belongings, retrieve pets, turn on their pilot lights, etc.  All air monitoring results indicted no elevated VOC or benzene readings inside the residences.

From approximately 0147 on January 18, 2012 to 1532 on January 19, 2012, START contractor personnel collected air monitoring readings at various locations surrounding the spill site and White Ditch, including outside a local day care center, high school, senior citizen's center, post office, and residences near the spill site and White Ditch, using a MultiRAE with a PID to measure total VOCs and an Ultra RAE to measure benzene.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 0.7 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings outside the day care center, the high school, the senior citizen's center, and the post office.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 3.05 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings in the evacuated trailer park.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings outside the residence located northwest of Zone 1.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings at the fairgrounds and the concrete facility, which are being used to stage roll off boxes containing contaminated soil.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings outside the residences located north of the constructed dams on White Ditch.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings at the constructed dams on White Ditch.  Four AreaRAE monitors collected continuous VOC readings around the spill site through approximately 1200 on January 19, 2012.  START contractor personnel conducted air monitoring in several evacuated homes to allow residents to enter their homes and retrieve their personal belongings, retrieve pets, turn on their pilot lights, etc.  All air monitoring results indicted no elevated VOC or benzene readings inside the residences.

From approximately 2045 on January 19, 2012 to 1658 on January 20, 2012, START contractor personnel collected air monitoring readings at various locations surrounding the spill site and White Ditch, including outside a local day care center, high school, senior citizen's center, post office, and residences near the spill site and White Ditch, using a MultiRAE with a PID to measure total VOCs and an Ultra RAE to measure benzene.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 0.15 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings outside the day care center, the high school, the senior citizen's center, and the post office.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 1.4 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings in the evacuated trailer park.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 0.15 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings outside the residence located northwest of Zone 1.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings at the fairgrounds and the Denes Concrete facility, which are being used to stage roll off boxes containing excavated soil.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 0.4 ppm and no elevated benzene readings outside the residences located north of the constructed dams on White Ditch.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings at the constructed dams on White Ditch.

From approximately 0823 on January 21, 2012 to 1720 on January 23, 2012, START contractor personnel collected air monitoring readings at various locations surrounding the spill site and White Ditch, including outside a local day care center, high school, senior citizen's center, post office, and residences near the spill site and White Ditch, using a MultiRAE with a PID to measure total VOCs and an Ultra RAE to measure benzene.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings outside the day care center, the high school, the senior citizen's center, and the post office.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings in the evacuated trailer park.  Air monitoring results indicated VOC readings at or below 2.05 ppm (maximum) and no elevated benzene readings outside the residence located northwest of Zone 1.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings at the fairgrounds and the Denes Concrete facility.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings outside the residences located north of the constructed dams on White Ditch.  Air monitoring results indicated no elevated VOC or benzene readings at the constructed dams on White Ditch.

On January 18 and 19, 2012, USEPA’s REAC contractor personnel collected two rounds of tedlar bag air samples from outside residences in the evacuated trailer park, residences located west of Zone 1, and residences on Peck-Wadsworth Road.  On January 19, 2012, USEPA’s REAC contractor personnel collected additional tedlar bag air samples inside three residence in the evacuated trailer park and downwind of air sparging and pumping activities on White Ditch in Zones 2 and 4.  Outdoor air sampling results indicated benzene concentrations at or below 1.5 ppb.  Indoor air sampling results indicated benzene concentrations at or below 1.6 ppb.  All tedlar bag air sampling results were validated and provided to the local health department.

On January 20, 2012, the local health department, local fire department, and Ohio Department of Health reviewed the air sampling data and made the decision to allow residents to return to their homes.  Most residents returned to their homes.
 
As of January 23, 2012, two residents have opted to not return home due to the 24-hour operations being conducted in Zone 1.

White Ditch

On January 16 and 17, 2012, Sunoco conducted gasoline recovery at three main locations on White Ditch, the constructed dams (Zone 4), approximately 200 yards downstream of the constructed dams (Zone 4), and along the west side of the evacuated trailer park property (Zone 2).  Sunoco also conducted gasoline recovery from the trenches and excavations installed in the spill area (Zone 1).  Sunoco installed additional aeration equipment on White Ditch in Zones 2 and 4 and maintained aeration activities in Zone 5 to mitigate product in the water that is now in a dissolved state.  Sunoco placed sorbent boom and pads between the underflow dams in Zone 4 and in areas of product accumulation in Zones 2 and 3.

On January 17, 2012, a rain event coupled with melting snow caused a significant flow increase in White Ditch and the Black River.  The three underflow dams in Zone 4 and the underflow dam in Zone 5 were all breached as a result of the increased flow.  Following the breach of the dams, sheen was observed on White Ditch in Zones 5 and 6.  By the end of the day, two of the three dams in Zone 4 were reconstructed.  The reconstruction of the third dam was completed on January 18, 2012.  All boom and absorbents on White Ditch that were dislodged during the rain event were reinstalled on January 18, 2012, including boom installed at the confluence of White Ditch and the Black River.

On January 18, 2012, very little sheen was observed on White Ditch in Zone 4 and no sheen was observed in Zones 5 and 6.  Aeration continued in Zones 2 and 4.

On January 19, 2012, Sunoco removed vegetation from the banks of White Ditch in Zones 1 and 2.  The vegetation was bagged and placed in roll off boxes until a means of disposal has been established.

On January 19 and 20, 2012, Sunoco removed aeration equipment, boom, and absorbents from White Ditch in Zones 5 and 6.  Aeration continued in Zones 2 and 4.

On January 20 and 21, 2012, no sheen was observed on White Ditch.  Aeration continued in Zones 2 and 4.

On January 22 and 23, minimal sheen was observed in White Ditch in Zones 1 and 2.  No sheen was observed downstream of the aeration systems in Zone 2.  Aeration continued in Zones 2 and 4.

A rain event on January 23, 2012 increase the amount of sheen observed in White Ditch in Zones 1 and 2.  Sheen was observed leaching from the west bank into White Ditch near a field tile discharge pipe.  Sunoco began excavating the west bank at this location to attempt to eliminate the source of the sheen.  Product and heavy sheen were observed leaching from the excavated portion of the west bank into White Ditch.

Spill Site (Zone 1)

From January 16, 2012 to January 20, 2012, Sunoco continued excavation activities at the spill site (Zone 1) and in the agricultural field north of the spill site (Zone 2).  Excavation activities included the following: expanding the Zone 2 excavation to the south, completing test pits in Zone 1 to determine the horizontal and vertical extent of contamination, installing an interceptor trench north and northwest of the Zone 1 excavation area to divert surface water away from the excavation, clearing the vegetation and debris from the north tree line in Zone 1, excavating the north tree line, excavating and removing the storm sewer line along the north tree line,replacing the storm sewer line, backfilling over the replaced storm sewer line, and stockpiling excavated soil in Zone 1.

Sunoco staged loaded roll off boxes at the Lorain County Fairgrounds and the Denes Concrete facility.  Sunoco and/or their contractors installed secondary containment around the roll off boxes to prevent any contamination from migrating away from the staging areas.

On January 19, 2012, Sunoco received approval to dispose of the contaminated soil at Envirosafe Services of Ohio in Toledo, OH and began transporting roll off boxes to Envirosafe for disposal.  On January 22, 2012, Sunoco began loading stockpiled soil from Zone 1 into trucks and transporting them to Envirosafe for disposal.

Pipeline Drain Down

On January 20 and 21, 2012, Sunoco began preparations for draining down the level of gasoline in the pipeline below the elevation of the pipeline break.  Sunoco excavated the gasoline pipeline near the spill site to expose an existing vent on the pipeline.  Sunoco excavated the pipeline in two locations (Orphanage Road and Whitehead Road) and installed 2-inch valves on the pipeline to be used as high point vents.  Sunoco and/or their contractors excavated the pipeline at two locations (Jones Street and Hawley Road) and installed 2-inch valves on the pipeline to be used as low point drains.

On January 22 and 23, 2012, Sunoco drained down the level of gaslone in the pipeline below the elevation of the break in the pipeline.  Sunoco removed approximately 944 barrels of gasoline from the pipeline.

Other

On January 21, 2012, Sunoco began preparing equipment for demobilization, including decontaminating fractionation tanks that were used to store water.

Sunoco continued conducting air monitoring in the areas surrounding the spill site and White Ditch.  Sunoco continued collecting periodic surface water samples from White Ditch and the Black River.  Sunoco continued collecting soil samples from test pits, excavations, stockpiles of excavated soil, and roll off boxes containing excavated soil.

On January 17, 2012, START contractor personnel observed that contaminated soil and water were being tracked onto Maple Street by trucks delivering and picking up roll off boxes, Sunoco installed a stone loading/unloading area in Zone 1 to prevent the spread of contaminants off-site.