The spill occurred at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The aiport's air traffic is the 28 largest in the world. The support is sorrounded by wetlands to the North and East with several channels leading to the Atlantic Ocean.
On March 25, 2008 a jet fuel was detected in one of the airport's internal water channels. The same impacted mangrove formations as well as smal critters.
During the period of March 26 to March 28, 2008 responders concentrated in mitigating and controlling the oil spill migration in several areas by placing containment boom as well as oil absorvent barriers.
EPA and Environmental Quality Board(EQB) detected the presence of free jet fuel in the airports storm drain system located in area CAS 1- apron 6. The same was flushed out by vacuum trucks and water injection but the storm drain recharged itself with more fuel.
The refueling line in CAS 1 began to be tested after OSC requested a temporary exception be given to the Ports Authority one of the prps from complying with the timeline scheduled specified in an EPA RCRA AOC.
Clean-up and removal of oil began and is currently underway in the storm drain water channel known as "the hole". Other spill affected areas such as the Gate 26 channel is being assess for oil pockets and damage to the mangroves by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources (DRNA).
Water and soils samples were collected and are being analized for finger prints and other parameters.
On March 29, four (4) field notices of federal interests were issued by EPA to request identified PRPs asume responsibility of the oil clean-up and mitigations actions. The same were the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, BP Oil and ESSO Oil and Caribbean Airport Service.
On March 30, 2008, completed the testing of the 1st third of the CAS 1 fuel pipeline.
On March 31, 2008 preparations began to test the second portion of the CAS 1 pipeline.
On April 1, 2008, the pipeline failed to hold pressure due to problems with the fuel feed manifolds and a valve near the Federal Express site. The manifolds were flanged but the valve continued to present problems. The pipeline failed to hold pressure and a closer look was performed of the valve fittings and valve boxes. A breach was found at the CAS 1 valve box between the valve flange and the pipe flange connection in the bottom were jet fuel was leaking. Apparently the pipes bottom (earthen not concrete) was gone forcing the pipeline in a curved position which misaligned the interconnection. The green dye applied by EPA with the assistance of EQB and fire rescue personnel appeared in the valve box as well. This event proved the storm drain conduit to be broken causing an erosion that took the pipeline earthen bedding away and thus played a major role in creating a cross interchange of jet fuel from the pipeline into the groundwater,and back into the valve box and the storm drain were jet fuel was been the discharge.
ERT Arrived on site.
From April 2 to April 7, ERT worked on site sampling for soil gas in an attempt to identify a groundwater jet fuel plume that continued to migrate thru the storm drain into the main drainage area ( the hole). Despite the fact that the valve connection was fixed. ERTech personnel the airport contractor under an existing EPA RCRA order estimated the discharge to be yielding 50 gals. per day.
Continue preparations to completely test the CAS 1 pipeline.
EPA was informed the formerly known site and PRP as CAS was in reality CAF ( Caribbean Airport Facility ).
Make clean-up determinations based on soil gas survey.
An EPA RCRA administrative order on consent was in placed to address a study of the airport's groundwater and subsequent remediation of the oil contamination under some areas under the runaway.
Need to decide when to face out the spill response back into the RCRA investigation.
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