On 25 December 2007 the Nacogdoches County Sheriffs Office was notified of an oil spill located off Oil Spring Road (East of State Highway 226) in Woden, Nacogdoches County, Texas. The origin of the spill was determined to be a gunshot hole in an abandoned 210 barrel above ground storage tank (AST).
Approximately 170 barrels of oil was released into Oil Spring Creek. Oil Spring Creek feeds Moss Creek, which ultimately empties into Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a public water supply to the surrounding towns and communities.
Due to the remote area and need to work in multiple areas, the clean-up effort was divided into three segments (work areas). Segment 1 consists of Oil Spring Creek downstream of the County Road 420 bridge (approximately 2700 feet). Segment 2 consists of the spill site. Segment 3 consists of the drainage area near the spill site down to the probably point of entry into Oil Spring Creek.
The Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC) continues to remove free product from within Segment 1 via in-situ burns as necessary, sorbent/containment boom placement/replacement, and vacuum truck at the county road 420 bridge. Activated sorbent peat is utilized to remove any remaining product within the creek.
Within Segment 2, TRRC is excavating oil impacted soil near the spill site including overland drainage pathways and remove any remaining product from the leaking tank. An area of approximately 80 ft by 40 ft is being excavated around the damaged 210 BBL AST (source of spill). Excavated soils are placed on plastic for future off-site transportation and disposal. Product removed from the tank will be stored in the on-site frac tank pending future disposal or recycling.
TRRC will continue to remove free product from within Segments 1 and 3, as needed. TRRC will continue to monitor sorbent/containment boom in Oil Spring Creek. Stock piled soils will be characterized, profiled, and transported off-site for disposal. Product removed from the tank will be stored in the on-site frac tank pending future disposal or recycling. The 500 BBL frac tank contains approximately 110 BBL of recovered hydrocarbons.
Within Segment 3, TRRC will pressure wash the drainage pathway and push any remaining free product to the bridge located at County Road 420 for removal from the creek. TRRC will utilize heated water at 3000 psi to wash the soil and remove any residual oil from the soils.
Excavated soils and oil impacted debris removed from Oil Spring Creek will be characterized, profiled and transported off-site to a TRRC approved disposal facility.
The current Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) is the owner of the 210 BBL AST, not the Texas Railroad Commission (as previously mentioned in the initial Polrep). TRRC is the government agency that stepped forward to initiate a timely cleanup in the absense of the PRP. Clean-up activities are being coordinated between federal, state, and local authorities.
Clean up crews have contained the oil spill in Oil Spring Creek within a half mile of the spill location. Moss Creek was threatened by the spill, but not impacted with oil.
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