Lightning struck an above ground storage tank at a oil production facility owned by Core Minerals Operating Co., Inc. The location is on the Paulette Howard Lease at GPS coordinates N 37.7194, W 86.8611. The tank and the oil/water separator exploded and caught on fire. The tank had approximately 180 barrels of crude oil of which an unknown quantity entered a nearby ditch. The ditch flows into the North Fork of Panther Creek, approximately a mile away. Panther Creek discharges directly into the Green River, a navigable water of the United States.
OSC Ben Franco was dispatched (from a nearby ER) to assess the spill and oversee the response actions taken by the Responsible Party (RP). KDEP's Environmental Response Team was onscene coordinating response actions.
08/29:
- OSC Smith arrives onscene @1435 hrs. CDT. Meet w/OSC Franco to survey control points on N. Fork of Panther Creek and tributaries. Meet w/KDEP ERT reps Adams and Cann to go over priorities for achieving response objectives. OSC Smith offsite @ 1700 hrs. for day. OSC Franco demobilizes the site to return to the Regional Office
08/30:
- OSC Smith onscene @ 1030 hrs. to survey control points on N. Fork of Panther Creek and tributaries. Met w/Greg Humes, supervisor for AES, cleanup contractor hired by the RP. Directed re-deployment of booms at control points 2 and 4. Met w/RP reps McLear and Larry Worth @ approximately 1600 hrs. OSC issued Notice of Federal Interest to Core Minerals, and advised of pending Notice of Designation as the source of this pollution incident. Also directed RP to initiate survey to locate point where additional control point 1b could be constructed, in an attempt to capture oil product before it enters unnnamed trib to North Fork of Panther Creek. OSC Smith offsite for day @ 1700 hrs.
08/31:
- OSC Smith inspected recovery points on Haynes Station Rd. and KY SR764. Conditions similar to those observed on 08/30. Minor pockets of oil product and debris are being removed 2x ea. day. Discussed progress of cleanup w/ RP rep (McLear) and AES (Humes). KYDEP ERT rep Adams participated in discussions. Salient points as follows:
- Flushing section 1a w/ fresh water determined to be effective at moving pockets of oil product to underflow dam at Williams Road. Same approach approved for application in Section 1b scheduled for 08/31. Estimates are that between 500-1,000g may be present in 3,000 ft. section of ditch through cornfield.
- KDEP ERT to assume primary oversight role of remaining cleanup operations,as volume of remaining oil product is effectively contained within cornfield ditch and can be removed in a controlled fashion.
OSC Smith demobilizes site @ approximately 1530 hrs. CDT.
On 09/05/2006, KDEP ERT rep Adams reported that the emergency phase of the incident was terminated. Core Minerals reported that the total volume of recovered oil product was 120 bbls.
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