See NRC Report #910045 for initial report.
On June 29, 2009, Norfolk Southern's clean up contractor (BBU Environmental) continued the removal of residual fuel/oil mixture from the five containment boom locations along the un-named creek. At this time the majority of the fuel/oil mixture had been contained and removed from the surface of the un-named creek. Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA directed that a siphon dam be installed in the un-named creek along the east side of the Norfolk Southern Buckeye rail yard. Installation of this siphon dam in this location was designed to prevent any further fuel/oil mixture releases from migrating offsite.
Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA conducted an inspection a storm water utility outfall, located on the west side of the rail yard, where the fuel/oil mixture had entered the un-named creek. They found that this storm water utility line continued eastward from the un-named creek and appeared to terminate near the rail yard’s oil/water separator. Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA inspected the oil/water separator in order to determine its condition and if the oil/water separator was the source of the release into the storm water utility line. The oil/water separator was at its full capacity and appeared not to be working at the present time. However, a conclusion could not be made that the oil/water separator had released oil into the storm water utility line. The Norfolk Southern Corporation representative indicated that the oil/water separator discharged into a nearby sanitary sewer catch basin as required in its permit and not to the storm water utility line. Norfolk Southern's engineer was to evaluate the system on June 30th.
On the morning of June 30, 2009 a small amount of fuel/oil mixture was observed discharging from the storm water utility outfall. Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA directed BBU Environmental to install absorbent booms at the end of the outfall to contain the release. After several minutes the oil release stopped. Norfolk Southern's engineer arrived at the rail yard to begin an assessment of the oil/water separator. The engineer met with Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA to discuss the separator’s current condition and if it was connected to the storm water utility line. BBU Environmental also started the removal of residual fuel/oil mixture and sediment from the storm water utility line and associated catch basins which involved inrelease. After clean out operations were completed, a camera survey of the storm water utility line was conducted in order to determine its physical condition. The camera survey also looked for any evidence of a utility connection with the yard’s oil/water separator or if the fuel/oil mixture was seeping through a breach into the storm water utility line. The results of the initial camera survey were inconclusive due to the large amount of sediment that still remained in the storm water utility line. BBU Environmental continued removing the residual fuel/oil mixture from the five containment boom locations along the un-named creek.
On July 1, 2009 Ohio EPA noted that a significant amount of residual the fuel/oil mixture had collected behind containment boom site #2 located just downstream of Dividend Road. A ground survey was conducted upstream of this collection area. In order to determine if any residual fuel/oil mixture was entrained in the vegetation along the creek’s banks. The effort to remove collected sediment and debris in the storm water utility’s catch basins continued in order to determine if their was a connection between the rail yard’s oil/water separator and the storm water utility line. BBU Environmental also began the removal of oil from the oil/water separator to allow the Norfolk Southern Corporation engineer to be able to better assess the condition of the separator and get it running again. Additional ground surveys of the un-named creek along the east and west sides of the rail yard determined that a large amount of the fuel/oil mixture had become entrained with vegetation growing along the banks and in the creek bed. As a result the Ohio EPA directed that the vegetation be removed in these areas in order to allow for the subsequent collection and removal of the fuel/oil mixture. Ohio EPA directed that a second siphon dam be installed just downstream of the affected storm water utility’s outfall as a precautionary measure. Ohio EPA and Norfolk Southern agreed to conduct further power washing of the storm water utility line and to conduct a second camera survey to assess the condition of the pipe and if any laterals connected to this storm water line.
On July 2, 2009 BBU Environmental continued removal of oil and sediment from the oil/water separator. U.S. EPA START noted that a significant amount of the fuel/oil mixture continued to collect behind containment boom site #2. An upstream survey discovered that a large amount of the fuel/oil mixture had back flowed into a storm water utility line located along the west side of Dividend Road during the initial release on June 28th. Subsequently, the fuel/oil mixture located in this storm water utility line was being discharged back into the un-named creek. Ohio EPA directed BBU Environmental to remove the residual fuel/oil mixture from the Dividend Road storm water utility line in order to prevent a further release into the un-named creek. This operation was completed by the end of the day. U.S. EPA and OEPA also approved the removal of containment boom sites #3, #4 and #5 located downstream of Dividend Road, since no further oil had collected at those sites. Containment boom #2 was moved to a position just downstream of the Dividend Road storm water utility line outfall in order to collect any residual fuel/oil mixture that still remained in the line. The removal of vegetation in the creek bed along the east side of the rail yard was completed, which allowed the entrained oil to migrate to the east siphon dam for later removal. BBU Environmental power washed the remaining sediment in the storm water utility line, which was completed by mid-day. A second camera survey of the storm water utility line was conducted by a local utility maintenance company. The results of the second camera survey determined that there were no secondary utility connections to this storm water line. This indicated that no utility connection exists between the oil/water separator and the storm water line. The results of the camera survey also indicated that the integrity of the storm water utility line appeared to be sound, with no apparent indication of oil seepage due to cracks or pipe segment separation.
The Norfolk Southern contractor is to remove or flush heavily contaminated vegetation along the creek.
Ohio EPA will oversee the long term clean up activities.
The two siphon dams located on the west and east sides of the Norfolk Southern property will continue to be monitored by Norfolk Southern Corporation.
Disposal/Recycle of the oil and water will be coordinated by Norfolk Southern.
Some small wildlife (stream critters and small fish) have been impacted or killed during this release. ODNR conducted an assessment of the impacted waterway.
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