On 7/8/06 a petroleum transport tanker overturned on the north side of SR 64, west of Zolfo Springs, FL and spilled approximately 5,000 gallons of unleaded fuel onto the ground. The material travelled along a drainage ditch, into a storm drain, underneath SR 64, along a drainage ditch on the south side of the road, into an underground aquifer and into an unnamed creek that is a tributary to the Peace River, approximately 3 miles from the scene of the accident. Free product impacted roughly 1/2 mile of the winding, shallow creek. No free product was observed in the Peace River, only sheen. Florida DEP State OSC's responded. The responsible party (RP) hired a contractor, SWS, to contain and mitigate the release. OSC Bass was dispatched to the site to oversee cleanup actions.
On 7/8/06, Hardee County EMA and Hardee County Fire and Rescue responded to the accident. The RP hired environmental contractors, SWS, to conduct emergency response and removal activities. FL DEP also responded to the incident. All were on-scene at the time OSC Bass arrived at approximately 1400. The product remaining in the tanker, 1531 gals of gasoline and 2398 gals of diesel, had been off-loaded under the supervision of the local and state responders, with air monitoring support provided by the fire department. The tanker was originally carrying 6005 gals of gasoline and 2502 gals of diesel. SR 64 remained closed while a towing company removed the wreckage. First responders had unsuccessfully attempted to stop the flow of the material at the scene by building an earthen dike in the drainage ditch and using absorbent boom. SWS placed boom at the junction of the creek and Peace River to ensure that no product reached the Peace River. Other actions taken by SWS included cutting back heavy vegetation contaminated with product, flushing the drainage ditch with water and using a hose and vacuum truck to remove product from the ditches, and using boom and absorbent pads to remove free product from the creek. OSC Bass departed the scene on 7/8/06, leaving FL DEP to continue providing oversite of the removal and remedial activities.
FL DEP will continue to provide oversite as the RP conducts cleanup actions at the site. Excavation of contaminated material will begin on 7/10/06 after all underground utilities have been identified. All contaminated materials will be removed and properly disposed of. Soil and water samples will also be collected.
FL DEP will take the lead on overseeing any remedial activities.
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