Industrial Oil is an oil recycling facility located in Klamath Falls,OR. A manhole on a tank used for processing used oil for recycling ruptured at approximately 1345 hours, and a plume of oil was released into the sky and to the southwest. An estimated 700 to 1,000 gallons of oil was released.
OSC Dan Heister and 2 START arrived on site at 16:40. When EPA arrived, firefighters from Klamath County Fire District No. 1 (KCFD), including the regional HazMat Team Coordinator, were already on scene. The OSC met with the Fire Captain and facility manager Daniel Fisher to get an assessment of the situation. Mr. Fisher said that he had contacted First Strike Environmental, Inc., from Roseburg, Oregon, to send a crew to perform the environmental cleanup. In the meantime, Mr. Fisher was directing his employees to perform containment activities both inside and outside the facility.
A manhole on a tank used for processing used oil for recycling ruptured at approximately 1345 hours, and a plume of oil was released into the sky and to the southwest. An estimated 700 to 1,000 gallons of oil was released.
KCFD reported that there were no injuries and that the release had apparently not impacted the Klamath River, which is directly adjacent to the facility. The KCFD indicated that the situation was now a cleanup and they began to demobilize from the scene.
Mr. Fisher and his employees continued the containment operations while OSC Heister reported back to the phone duty officer and START conducted a reconnaissance of the site to determine the area of the release.
During the site reconnaissance, START noted the area of the oil release by observing stained pavement, soil, and vegetation. It did not appear that the oil spill had reached the river to the north; rather, the oil release occurred to the southwest from the facility, away from the river. Based on stained vegetation, the effects of the plume were observed an estimated 300-400 yards to the southwest.
OSC Heister then interviewed Mr. Fisher to obtain more background information about the release. Mr. Fisher said that after immediately after the release occurred, the facility called 911. Once it was determined that there were no emergencies, Mr. Fisher contacted the local non-emergency number and the Oregon Response Reporting System (ORRS). The incident was given ORRS number 2009-1508. He also said that facility personnel immediately checked for impacts to the Klamath River and did not notice any sheen on the river. He spoke with compliance officer Amy Lacoque in Portland, who instructed him to get cleanup supplies and equipment ready. Mr. Fisher then spoke with Frank Messina and Kim Van Patten of DEQ, who told him that he needed to get a cleanup contractor that had 40-hour HAZWOPER-trained personnel to respond to the facility. Mr. Fisher then called First Strike, just before EPA arrived on scene. The estimated release is 700 to 1,000 gallons, but they have not verified the exact amount yet. The facility has an SPCCC plan, and he gave a copy to OSC Heister.
START collected samples of product from the receiving tank (Tank 4) and the processing tank (cooker; Tank D2).
OSC Heister instructed Mr. Fisher to maintain an employee at the facility overnight to monitor the weather or any other situation that may cause the product to flow toward the river. In that event, Mr. Fisher was instructed to contact the OSC as soon as possible. Otherwise, the OSC indicated that he would return to the facility the next morning. The OSC and START then departed the facility at 1900 hours.
07/10/2009
OSC Heister and two STARTS returned to the facility at 0700 hours and met with the facility manager and the response contractor, First Strike Environmental. The contaminated area was delineated and is approximately 350 yards by 75 yards and is roughly teardrop shaped. Three zones were designated: 1) Saturated Zone (75 yards), the most highly impacted and closest to the facility. Soil and foliage will be removed from this zone. 2) Coated Zone (50 yards) this area is characterized by heavy staining on foliage and some soil contamination of bare ground. This area will have foliage mechanically removed and soil will be removed as necessary. 3) Misted Zone (225 yards) this area is characterized by light amounts of oil usually with small spotting visible only on hard surfaces such as rock rusted cans and waste tires. This area has light contamination and does not pose an immediate threat to surface water, but will have the foliage weed whacked, bagged and disposed of. No residences or surface water appeared to be impacted by the oil, all oil remained either on the facility or the adjacent rangeland. Work began in Zone 1 and 2 at approximately 0915 hours.
The D-2 tank was drained and metered. Vac truck volumes were added to this total and it was determined that 1,100 gallons of oil were lost to the ground. OSC Heister and the STARTs GPS the impacted area and are in the process of overlaying the data on a map. No rain is expect until 07/12/2009 and then only scattered showers. Work should be completed in Zone 1 and 2 by that time. As of 1500 hours zones 1 and 2 had been scrcaped, leaving only the heaviest contamination inside the facility boundaries. Work on this area will begin on 7/11/2009 as well as work in Zone 3.OSC Heister returned to the Northridge Estates removal site at 1500 hours leaving one START on site to observe. OSC Heister will return to the site at 0800 hrs on 07/11/2009.
OSC Heister will return to the Facility in the morning to oversee work on Zones 1 and 3.
Determine the extent and nature of the contamination and clean it up in a safe and timely manner to eliminate the environmental threat.
Thunderstroms threaten to spread contamination to the river which has listed Species.
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