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 #15
Progress
(E13611) Exxon Pipeline Mayflower Arkansas Oil Spill

Mayflower, AR
Latitude: 34.9638070 Longitude: -92.4286530


To:
From: Nicolas Brescia, OSC
Date: 6/4/2013
Reporting Period: 05/15/13 to 06/05/13

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:
FPN#:    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).  Due to elevated VOC readings and due to the amount of oil present on the ground and in the street, 22 residential homes were evacuated along N. Starlite Road.  (Evacuated residential home number was revised from previous pollution reports to reflect actual number of homes evacuated.)

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
The damaged pipeline released Wabasca 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 22 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 5,000 bbl of oil has been released.

2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date


May 15 - June 5, 2013

Response operations continued in Division Alpha, the Northwoods Subdivision where approximately 22 homes remain evacuated. Indoor air sampling has been completed on approximately 15 of the 22 evacuated homes. An additional two homes have been scheduled for this coming week. All validated indoor air sampling results were provided to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADOH) for review. The ADOH began scheduling meetings with individual residents to discuss their results.  Operations along North Starlite Road included the replacement of additional storm drain areas, replacement of concrete caps, replacement of curbs, replacement of driveways and rebuilding of mailboxes.  New sod was placed on exposed soil areas and fencing was constructed between homes. ExxonMobil will continue working under direction of the ADEQ to assess and remediate soils and groundwater at the properties directly impacted by the spill.   

Response operations continued in Division Bravo, the Bell Cove area of Lake Conway. Operations included washing and jetting shorelines to recover isolated pockets of oil.  Soil/sediment excavation occurred in bermed locations along the South side of the cove area. Crews continued to work these isolated areas utilizing absorbents to collect the free oil.  On May 22, 2013, the USEPA Environmental Response Team (USEPA ERT) arrived on site and conducted a site assessment of the cove. USEPA ERT informed the USEPA FOSC that the majority of the oil had been collected and that any residual oil still present in the cove would naturally attenuate over time. The USEPA ERT informed the USEPA FOSC that no special cleanup techniques were needed and that the cleanup techniques utilized during the response operation had been effective in removing the gross oil from the impacted areas.

On May 23, 2013, the Unified Command along with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) conducted a final site walk of the cove area, and determined that the Response phase had been completed and that the cove could be transitioned to the Remediation phase under the ADEQ. The cove area was hydroseeded with native grass under the direction of the AGFC to assist with erosion control. Two hard booms were removed from the cove area. ExxonMobil will continue to provide contract personnel to conduct remediation and maintenance activities within the cove area under the direction of the ADEQ.

 

 ADEQ and ExxonMobil continued to sample Lake Conway. Results of sampling continue to indicate non detect for the presence of oil. 

During this operational period, two EPA START and two EPA OSCs were onsite. After the Unified Command site walk of the cove concluded, the EPA OSCs demobilized.  USEPA FOSC Brescia will continue to assist the ADEQ in ensuring that ExxonMobil completes the cleanup operation in the Northwood subdivision.

The Draft Amendment to the Waste Disposal Plan proposed by ExxonMobil for the disposal of the oily liquids being stored at the Exxon Conway Terminal was approved by ADEQ and the USEPA. 

   
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              28,489*  bbl       7,452 bbl
Soils     406 - 20yd3 Boxes       406 - 20yd3 Boxes
Oiled Debris     283 - 20yd3 Boxes       283 - 20yd3 Boxes
Wood Chips     281 - 20yd3 Boxes       281 - 20yd3 Boxes
* Oily liquid recovered and stored quantity reconciled after gauging on 4/23/2013. Disposal estimates provided from by ExxonMobil on June 3, 2013.

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
Unified Command will continue to provide the community and media with high priority and responsiveness.  Execute approved plans and assess progress of the Northwood Subdivision on a daily basis.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
EPA START and RP's contractor will continue implementation of the Re-entry sampling plan for the evacuated residents as requested. Currently, seven homes remain to be sampled in the N. Starlite area. These seven homes are awaiting air sampling operations pending cleanup of their specific areas.

The RP’s contractor will continue independent area air monitoring to identify VOC levels in the impacted residential areas as requested by the Unified Command.  .

The ADOH will continue to review the indoor air sampling results from the indoor air sampling of the impacted homes on N. Starlite road, and will schedule and meet with the individual resIdents to discuss the sampling data as they are provided. 

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
Begin transition from the response phase to the long-term assessment and remediation phase with ADEQ for the Northwoods Subdivision area.

2.2.2 Issues

There continues to be high interest from local media and activist groups.

  2.2 Planning Section
    No information available at this time.

  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
ExxonMobil 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
Faulkner County Emergency Management
Mayflower Fire Department
Mayflower Police Department
Faulkner County Judge
US FWS

4. Personnel On Site
  1 - EPA FOSC personnel (Incident Command)

2 - EPA START personnel (air sampling) and field documentation

5. Definition of Terms
  RP - Responsible Party

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.