United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IX
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

On March 12, 2008, EPA OSC Robert Wise, START and SBCo Petroleum visited the Greka Oil and Gas Williams B Lease Tank Farm.  The Williams B Tank Farm is an idle tank farm that was never brought into service by Greka.  The tank farm consists of six 10,000 gallon above ground storage tanks (ASTs), two 10,000 gallon Baker tanks, a horizontal heater treater and a vertical heater treater.  There was no secondary containment around the tank farm.  The tank farm is bordered on the west by a wash that drains into Cat Canyon Creek.  To the north of the site is Cat Canyon Creek.  Cat Canyon Creek drains to Sisquoc Creek, which drains to the Santa Maria River, which drains to the Pacific Ocean.

With the exception of horizontal heater treater all of the tanks contained petroleum material (liquid oil, oily sludge, oil water or oily tank bottoms).  All tanks except for the horizontal heater treater were actively leaking in multiple places.  The ground around the six 10,000 gallon ASTs was heavily saturated with oil.  The ASTs were missing man way covers, heavily corroded, and full of holes.  Several of the ASTs were also missing tops.  The vertical heater treater was actively leaking through a valve in the tank.  The horizontal 10,000 gallon Baker tanks contained a heavy asphaltic oil material and possibly water.  One tank contained oily sludge approximately three feet from the bottom.  This tank was heavily corroded above the oil line, had numerous holes, was open on the top, and was bulging on the ends and sides.  The second horizontal tank was 3/4 full and had a thick oil pad on the surface.

On March 19, 2008, OSC Wise issued a Clean Water Act 311(c) order to Greka for the William B Tank Farm.  The Order directs Greka to remove the oil from the tanks, demolish the tanks and remove soil contamination to a depth of three feet bgs.  

8/18/08 - 8/22/08:
Work Performed:  
•  Fluids were removed from Stock Tank “D” by Speed’s, a contracted vacuum truck. Two runs were completed for Stock Tank D.  Speed’s vacuum truck delivered crude from Stock Tank D to Hopkins Tank #1.
•  Demolition of Stock Tank E was completed.  Metal walls were rolled and placed into salvage bin.
•  Tank solids were placed into Stock Tank E for consolidation.
•  Contractor DemCon delivered a salvage waste bin and removed a full bin.
•  A hot water tank was brought on site to thin heavy crude in Stock Tank C.  Speed’s vacuum truck removed 25 bbls of water from Stock Tank C; fluids were delivered to Hopkins Tank #1.
•  Profiling of tank solids for disposal at Santa Maria landfill was initiated.
•  Fire prevention/weed abatement continued.
•  Greka water trucks maintained dust suppression throughout the week.
•  Onsite safety officer conducted safety meetings and was on site throughout the week.
•  Upper walls of Stock Tanks E and F were removed and placed in salvage bin.
•  Upper ring of Stock Tank C was removed by Greka crane.
•  Netting was placed over Stock Tank C.

Analytical Data Received:  
•  Santa Maria landfill indicated sampling and analyses of tank solids/soils mixture required for landfill disposal.
•  Landfill will provide sampling frequency and required analyses for profiling of solids for disposal.

Treatment and Disposal Information:
•  75 bbls of hot water was introduced into Stock Tank C in an attempt to thin the heavy crude oil.
•  Inability to thin crude in Stock Tank C sufficiently to allow pumping of fluids may result in approximately an additional 100 cubic yards of material that is not injected and must be handled in an alternative manner.

The Final Work Plan has been posted to the Documents section of the website.  Planned removal actions include:
• Conduct pre-demolition permitting and characterization.
• Remove contents of the six ASTs, two Baker tanks, and two heater treaters.
• Demolish, transport, and dispose of the tanks.
• Excavate contaminated soil beneath the tanks and in other parts of the Site, and
backfill the completed excavations with clean imported soil.
• Transport and dispose of the tank contents and soil from excavation.
• Conduct post-removal sampling to confirm the cleanup of affected areas.
• Evaluate the two onsite production wells to determine if they pose a threat of
discharge, and to make repairs as necessary.

•  Begin preparing solids in Stock Tank C for disposal.
•  Remove top ring from Stock Tank D.
•  Solids are to be profiled for landfill acceptance.  Confirm with Steve Lowe permissible concentrations of PCBs for disposal at Santa Maria landfill.

Problems Encountered:
•  Fluids in Stock Tank C clogged vacuum truck hoses.  A hot water truck was brought in to attempt to thin fluids.  Fluids remained too thick to pump through vacuum tank hoses.
•  Delays were encountered due to heavy equipment failure: the excavator was leaking hydraulic fluid.  Equipment was inoperable Wednesday, Thursday and partial day on Friday.
•  Nathan West and Matt Surcop, SBC FPD, made an unannounced inspection of the site on Thursday, August 21, 2008. Site Safety Manager Jim Mondy, explained the Wms. B demolition work plan and HASP procedures to SBC FPD.  Mr. Mondy identified procedures for fluid and solids removal from the tanks during the demolition process.  Mr. Mondy discussed the inspector’s discovery of small bird in Stock Tank C with inspectors and initiated netting of stock tanks during demolition.
•  Notification was made to California Department of Fish and Game regarding the bird death.  A warden has been assigned to investigate.  Preliminary identification indicates the bird is a scrub jay; no threatened or endangered species listing.