United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

On November 20, US EPA received notification from the NRC that Hexion Specialty Chemicals located in Fayetteville, NC identified methanol loss during inventory control measures.  Loss may have begun as early as September 2008 from a 2 inch process supply pipeline.   No clean-up efforts had yet begun.  The facility is adjacent to a stormwater ditch that is a tributary to the Cape Fear River. Hexion collected some water samples from the stormwater drainage ditch and the discharge to the Cape Fear River that confirmed the presence of methanol.  The concentrations of methanol in the stormwater drainage system and discharge to the Cape Fear River was approximately 3%. This concentration is based on results from the Hexion Laboratory on site and is not a certified lab and has not ever previously analyzed methanol in water.

November 21:
US EPA On-Scene Coordinator arrives on site, Hexion has collected additional samples for submittal to a certified laboratory for analysis and comparison.
The pipeline has been uncovered, revealing a couple of "pin holes", leaks.
These leaks will have a temporary seal placed over them and the pipeline will be pressured up again to determine if there are any additionl leaks.
The stormwater drainage ditch has been diked off and Hexion began containment and recovery operations. The water is being pumped from the ditch into tanker trucks. Collected water will be stored in tankers until analytical results are reviewed.  Disposal options are currently being explored to determine if:
1. There are on-site treatment options at the facility's waste water treatment plant or
2. Collected stormwater should be transported off-site for disposal.

EPA On-Scene Coordinator advised EPA Region 4 RCRA of situation.

November 22:
"Point wells" are being installed and groundwater samples are being collected utilizing a combination the point wells and existing monitoring wells and piezometers.
Preliminary results from a point well installed in the pipeline trench near the release point indicated methanol concentrations at 61%. A groundwater sample collected from a pointwell approximately 20 feet downgradient from the pipeline trench had a methanol concentration of 95%. The storm water in the ditch upgradient from the dike has a methanol concentration of 6.9%.

Soil samples from the release area will also be collected for analysis.

Containment of the drainage ditch and recovery operations continue. Approximately 30,000 gallons have been collected.

Hexion's Consultant will submit a Work Plan for EPA Review and approval.

Sampling Analysis Plan will be written and implemented to identify source areas and extent of contamination.
Based on these findings a removal will be conducted to mitigate threats to the waterways.

Hexion will provide EPA with the methanol inventory discrepencies to better estimate the amount of methanol lost. - Inventory loss projections indicate that the amount released could be as much as 207,000 gallons.

After uncovering the pipeline and revealing leaks, there were no "source" areas of contamination discovered visually or by odor.

Additional work is currentyly on-going to determine the pathway of methanol to the waterways.