U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
(E13611) Exxon Pipeline Mayflower Arkansas Oil Spill - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region VI

Subject: POLREP #2
(E13611) Exxon Pipeline Mayflower Arkansas Oil Spill

Mayflower, AR
Latitude: 34.9638070 Longitude: -92.4286530


To:
From: Nicolas Brescia, OSC
Date: 3/31/2013
Reporting Period: March 30-31, 2013

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number:      Contract Number:  
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date:  
Response Authority: OPA    Response Type: Emergency
Response Lead: PRP    Incident Category: Removal Assessment
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date: 3/29/2013    Start Date: 3/29/2013
Demob Date:      Completion Date:  
CERCLIS ID:    RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:    State Notification: 12713
FPN#: E013611    Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

Transportation-Related: Pipeline Spill

1.1.2 Site Description

1.1.2.1 Location

The pipeline spill occurred in a residential neighborhood in Mayflower, Faulkner County, Arkansas (34.963807 Latitude, -92.428653 Longitude).  Approximately 21 homes were evacuated in the neighborhood due to elevated VOC readings and due to the amount of oil present on the ground and in the street.


1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

The damaged pipeline released Wabassa Heavy crude oil into the North Woods Subdivision.  Crude oil then flowed west along N. Starlite Road, into a bar ditch adjacent to a Union Pacific Railroad line, into an unnamed creek, and into a tributary to a cove of Lake Conway.  Lake Conway is a tributary to the Arkansas River.  Local residents have been evacuated from 21 homes due to elevated levels of VOCs and benzene detected in the source area of the spill. 

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

The source was a Pegasus Line that connects Patoka, IL to Nederland, TX, approximately 850 miles long.  The 20-inch pipeline has a capacity of 95,000 barrels per day.  The pipeline is buried 24 inches deep with a distance of 18 miles between isolation valves.  The pipeline release began Friday afternoon 29 March 2013.  The break in the line was isolated and the pipeline stopped leaking oil at approximately 0300 hours 30 March 2013.  The RP is estimating approximately 2,000 bbl of oil has been released.

2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
March 29-30, 2013

The RP and local responders have installed several dams to contain the oil throughout the impacted area.  Vacuum trucks are currently recovering the crude oil at multiple locations and are staging the oil in frack tanks on site.  At this time, approximately 4,500 bbl of oil and water has been recovered and staged in nine frack tanks on site.  Approximately 700 feet of hard boom and 1300 feet of soft absorbent boom has been deployed throughout the spill area and in Lake Conway.  The RP and the EPA are conducting air monitoring to establish levels of VOCs and benzene in the area. The air monitoring is being focused in the North Woods Subdivision and at heavily oiled locations. CTEH is conducting air monitoring, air sampling, water sampling, and soil sampling in the impacted and surrounding area for the RP.  The RP currently has approximately 15 Vacuum Trucks on site and 12 frack tanks. The RP currently has 100 response personnel on site conducting the cleanup operation. The RP has estimated approximately 2,000 bbl have been released at this point, however, the RP is staffing their response efforts to tactically cleanup a potential 10,000 bbl release. The RP is standing up an Incident Management Team and will coordinate all response efforts through a Unified Command with local, state, and federal officials. The RP has set-up a claims line for impacted residents and will be assisting residents with temporary housing.

March 30-31, 2013

The RP continued to conduct recovery operations and have organized their response effort into three geographic divisions, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. Division Alpha will focus on the North Woods Subdivision and will continue to remove free product from the neighborhood. Division Bravo will focus on removing free product and oiled vegetation along the spill pathway following the UP rail line and working the impacted area between the East side of the UP rail line and I-40 W. Divison Charlie will focus on recovering free product in the creek area and will maintain containment of the free product in the creek and wetland area adjacent to the Lake Conway cove area. 

Division Alpha: Cleanup activities are focused on the North Woods Subdivision to remove all free oil from the roadway, storm drain and residential yards. This includes utilizing pads and power washing streets and driveways that have been impacted. All generated oily water will be collected utilizing vacuum trucks. Residents are being contacted and access agreements are being requested by the RP to begin oil-impacted soil excavation and foundation cleaning. 

Division Bravo: Cleanup activities are focused on recovering free product at multiple collection points throughout the area utilizing skimmers, pads, boom, and vacuum trucks.  Collection points are located on Main Street and on HWY 89.

Division Charlie: Cleanup actvities are focused on deploying additional hard boom in multiple strategic locations in Lake Conway as part of a contingency plan to deal with any lost oil from the creek area caused from weather events. Rainfall was heavy and two underflow dams were washed out. The dams were reconstructed and stabilized. Currently no oil has migrated into Lake Conway. A contingency plan was created and implemented which involved installing three pumps to remove water from the cove area. The pumps began transferring water from the cove area into Lake Conway to mitigate the additional volume of water that has collected in the cove area from heavy rain events. The cove water volume will be reduced to a safe level in preparation of a heavy rainfall event to prevent the cove from overflowing and potentially releasing any lost oil into Lake Conway. EPA START conducted multiple assessments in the creek and cove area to determine if any oil migrated into the cove area. All oil has been contained within the boomed area within the creek.

The RP has currently increased their personnel and assets on site. The RP has approximately 15 Vacuum trucks on site and 34 frack tanks. The RP currently has 180 response personnel on site conducting the cleanup operation. Approximately 2,200 feet of hard boom and 2,000 feet of soft absorbent boom has been deployed throughout the spill area and in Lake Conway. Approximately 12,000 bbl of oil and water have been recovered on site form vacuuming operations and the oil and water has been placed into frack tanks. 

USDOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Pipeline Engineer Accident Investigator David Eng arrived on site and met with OSC Brescia. OSC Brescia and Eng made a field visit to the source location. Mr. Eng began his pipeline inspection and determined that a long axis rupture had occurred.  OSC Brescia has requested updated release amounts, but has not received any new updated volumes to date. Actual realease amounts will be calculated by the RP and provided to the OSC when available.



2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

The Pegasus pipeline is operated by ExxonMobil Pipeline Company.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal
 Oil and Water    4500 bbl      
           
           


  2.2 Planning Section
    2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

Continue recovery of pooled oil,  Maintain area air monitoring to identify levels in the residential areas adjacent to the spill and evacuated areas. Continue removing water from the cove and manage water volume in the cove to prevent breaches to Lake Conroe..

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

Continue oil recovery in heavily impacted areas. Continue air monitoring and sampling for VOCs. Monitor containment areas to prevent oil migration into Lake Conway. Continue power washing in the North Wood sundivision area.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

Continue oil recovery and air monitoring.

2.2.2 Issues

Due to a current rainfall event, the RP will attempt to prevent the oil from migrating into Lake Conway.

  2.3 Logistics Section
    No information available at this time.

  2.4 Finance Section
    No information available at this time.

  2.5 Other Command Staff
    No information available at this time.

3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command
ExxonMobile Representatives
Federal and State Agencies

3.2 Cooperating Agencies

Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
Arkansas Department of Emergency Management
Arkansas Game and Fish
Arkansas Department of Health
Falkner County Emergency Management
Mayflower Fire Department
Mayflower Police Department
Falkner County Judge

4. Personnel On Site
  No information available at this time.

5. Definition of Terms
  No information available at this time.

6. Additional sources of information
  6.1 Internet location of additional information/report

www.epaosc.org/exxonmayflower

6.2 Reporting Schedule

7. Situational Reference Materials
  No information available at this time.