Site Number: |
E16006 |
|
Contract Number: |
|
D.O. Number: |
|
|
Action Memo Date: |
|
Response Authority: |
OPA |
|
Response Type: |
Emergency |
Response Lead: |
EPA |
|
Incident Category: |
Removal Assessment |
NPL Status: |
Non NPL |
|
Operable Unit: |
|
Mobilization Date: |
6/3/2016 |
|
Start Date: |
6/3/2016 |
Demob Date: |
|
|
Completion Date: |
|
CERCLIS ID: |
|
|
RCRIS ID: |
|
ERNS No.: |
|
|
State Notification: |
|
FPN#: |
E16006 |
|
Reimbursable Account #: |
|
1.1.1 Incident Category
Emergency response to a threat of discharge of oil to navigable waters of the US.
1.1.2 Site Description
A 120-car unit train of Bakken crude oil derailed within the town of Mosier, Oregon along the Columbia River. The derailment took place along a rail line at or very near the crossing of Rock Creek, a tributary to the Columbia River. Local, regional and state fire fighting agencies assumed initial command of this incident while additional state, tribal, and federal responders mobilized to the site to assist with air monitoring, prepared for a release of oil from the site, and formed Unified Command.
1.1.2.1 Location
The derailment occurred in the town of Mosier, Wasco County, Oregon on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) main line at UPRR milepost 68.5. The derailment and fire were approximately 130 yards south of I-84 near Exit 69 and just east of Rock
Creek, which is a tributary to the Columbia River. The site is approximately 35 miles upriver and east of the Bonneville Dam.
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
Reportedly eleven cars derailed, with approximately six cars falling into Rock Creek. Four oil cars caught on
fire creating a an additional wildland fire impacting 5-10 acres. There was an initial evacuation perimeter of 1/2 mile established by local firefighters, who served as the initial Incident Command for the incident. One mobile home park was
evacuated and a school was forced to temporarily shelter in place until students could be evacuated by bus resulting in 100 of the 430 residents being evacuated. The release also resulted in damage to the local Waste Water Treatment Plan which resulted in the facility having to cease operations.
Oil has been
reported to have been released to the ground but none has reached the Columbia River at this early point in the incident. If the fire cannot be controlled, the large quantity of oil present on the train poses a significant threat to the river. Furthermore cooling tactics employed by firefighters to keep addition tank cars from catching fire has the potential of flushing oil and oily water into Rock Creek and further along into the Columbia which sits less than 200 yards away from the fire.
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
Oil has been reported to have been released to the ground but none has reached the Columbia River at this point. Significant smoke from the burning of oil has created the need for air monitoring to be able to protect local populations from inhalation of air toxics.
This area is home to federally listed endangered fish including juvenile coho salmon and winter steelhead. The incident also comes at a critical time for sockeye salmon as they migrate through this stretch of the Columbia River. This is also a stretch of the Columbia River with known archeological resources.
|