Monday July 6, 2009: At approximately 9 am, a tanker truck was involved in an accident on Route 95N in Newburyport, MA. As a result, the truck released approximately 8,600 gallons of gasoline onto the road. The gasoline flowed into the storm drain and an unknown amount entered the Merrimack River.
Since POLREP #3:
Spill volume:
Total gasoline onboard was 10,200 gallons; 1050 were pumped off and 400 gallons have been removed in the fractionalization tank from river and catch basin pumping operations for a total of 8850 gallons still unaccounted for.
Source Area:
-Contaminated soil removal continues, approximately 500 cuyd of contaminated soil has been removed to date.
-The contaminated soil is area is bigger and deeper than originally expected due to sandy soils.
-This work continues from 0400-1200 daily; MASS Highway requires operations to cease at 1400 daily to fully open I-95 northbound.
-Several Geoprobes have been advanced in the spill area to characterize any impact on groundwater and to place recovery wells, but haven't reached the water table yet.
-One monitoirng well has been placed in the adjacent residential area to assess groundwater.
Storm Sewer:
-Working on removing contaminated liquids and solids from the 12 catch basins; sand was dumped into catch basins during the incident to mitigate gasoline infiltration.
Merrimack River/riverbank area:
-Booming and cleanup operations continue as before.
-Sheen at the outflow is longer observed and the riverbank has less gasoline residue than before.
Source Area:
-Continue soil removal.
-Advance recovery wells pending Geoprobe findings.
Storm Sewer:
-Continue clearing contaminated material.
River and riverbank:
-Continue containment and sorbent booming operations.
-Install recovery wells in release area and monitor product recover.
-Assess the benefit of flushing the storm sewer once catch basins are cleaned, given the significant rain events this past week.
-Requirement for full use of I-95 in the afternoon limits source area and strom sewer operations to 0400-1200 daily.
-An unknown, but potentially significant portion of the release may be in the release area soil and infiltrate to the groundwater surface.
-Significant and at time intense rainfall has impacted operations.
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