The Chesapeake Fire Marshall reported a urea ammonium nitrate spill to EPA on November 12th. The spill originated from the Allied Terminals Compound in Chesapeake, VA. An EPA OSC is on site to assist the local Fire Department and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the leads for the response.
Early estimates indicated a 250,000 gallon spill from the facility. A 2.3 million gallon aboveground steel roof fixed tank collapsed during repairs. More accurate figures show that the tank spilled 2 million gallons of urea ammonium nitrate (liquid fertilizer) into its containment and the adjacent area. The spill flooded three city streets and some yards, and moved toward the Elizabeth River. Two workers doing tank maintenance were injured and taken to the hospital.
The Allied facility has hired HEPACO to conduct the cleanup in the area. The initial cleanup focused heavily on removing liquids from residential areas by using berms, dams, and pumping liquids into frac trucks.
Cleanup operations and staging is based within the Allied Facility. Product has been pumped out of the failed tank berm area. Allied is coordinating removal of the tank throughout the next weeks and to dig out several retainment ponds with debris in them. Allied contractors continue to monitor neighborhood drainage areas and contain additional rainwater still in stagnant ditches. Allied is continuing air monitoring operations. The facility has been communicating with neighbors to address their concerns. Ammonia odors can sporadically be detected as storage trucks and vacuum trucks move around.
Allied has estimated their total release based on 2,128,154 gallons of product released to be 223,605.11 pounds of ammonia. A total of 1,135,685 gallons of product were collected from the containment berm. A total of 607,281 gallons of product were collected from the stormwater drains and ditches.
The Chesapeake Fire Department has demobilized. EPA continues to support VDEQ. EPA collected water along the two pertinent outfalls and soil samples at two residences today. They will be sampled for nitrogen and ammonia.
A VDEQ team monitored water quality along the Elizabeth River yesterday.
EPA will continue to monitor activities on scene until the roof of the tank is removed from within the berm to verify if there is additional product under the roof that needs to be addressed.
The DEQ will remain the lead agency on Environmental impacts and conerns. EPA will share monitoring and analytical data with DEQ and provide any necessary support to DEQ in assessing environmental impacts of the spill. EPA will support DEQ in addressing drainage areas that may become secondary sources of product.
Chesapeake Fire Marshals Office continues to be the lead on the incident. The Fire Marshals office is conducting an investigation of the incident and has been in touch with the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act program and the Oil Inspections Program.
Allied has scheduled a meeting with the community this evening at the community center.
|
