United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

On July 17,2006, a light rainbow sheen (approximately one foot wide) was reported at the headwaters of the Flint River on the Hartsfield Intenational Airport property.   The sheen appeared approximately 12 hours after 50,000 gallons of jet fuel overflowed a tanks into secondary containment at a Delta Airlines Tank Farm.  Delta Airlines reported that no oil escaped the secondary containment system and recovery was underway.  As a precautionary meausure, Delta deployed boom on the culvert that serves as the headwater of the Flint.  This area is located at the Gate 59 Rock Quarry.  When a sheen appeared, Delta constructed an underflow dam.  OSC David Dorian was dispatched to determine the source of the sheen and review Delta's activation of it's Federal Response Plan (FRP).  

OSC Dorian confirmed that the tank overflow did not escape secondary containment and identified a hydraulic oil spill on the road at the Airport's General Aviation Services Maintenance shop, which is a plausible source of the sheen.  

   Human error caused the 50,000 gallon overflow at the 1500 Fuel Farm Road tank farm.  The high level alarm on the tank worked; an employee failed to cut the supply to the tank.  The secondary containment has a 1.5 million gallon capacity.  Delta reports recovery of over 99% of the fuel.  Delta continues to recover fuel from a drain in the secondary containment, and some fuel may be trapped in the clay layer beneath the gravel.  OSC Dorian inspected the oil water separator to which the secondary containment system drains.  The separator was dry.  Delta reports that previous inspections also indicate that no material drained from the secondary containment.  

   OSC Dorian verified that Delta's response was consistence with the measures outlined in the September, 2004 "Integrated Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures and Facility Response Plan."  Delta chose to take the added precaution of placing sorbent boom and constucting an underflow dam at the headwaters of the Flint. The underflow was constructed of two 2" PVC pipes, 1 3" PVC pipe, and one 8" PVC pipe.  The sorbent boom was bundled together and did not stretch over the width of the culvert.  When the mislain boom was pointed out to a Delta representative, Delta directed their contractor to link and angle the boom across the culvert.  

    Along the NLVR (non licensed vehicle roadway), it was apparent that some type of oil had spilled along the roadway.  The oil had stained Approximately 1/2 mile of road.  This was traced to the Department of Aviation Airport Main Division Snow and Ice Equipment Storage Facility. Some oil had accumulated in sump by the re-fueling system.   Not every drain in this area is routed through the "first flush" system -- a plausible explanation for the sheen.

Delta Airlines will maintain the underflow dam and sorbent boom until either there is an extended period without a sheen or until Department of Aviation assumes the lead.

GA EPD has assumed the lead for the spill at the maintenance shop and will ensure corrective actions are taken.  The sheen was no longer visible when OSC Dorian demobilized on the evening of July 17.