Overview: On Wednesday, 7
February 2024, at approximately 16:54 PM A Rainbow sheen in the Beardsley Canal
was viewed by a passerby and reported to the Kern County Fire Department.
The sheen is estimated to be flowing at 1GPM (1) one gallon per minute and
spans ( 1.25 ) one and a quarter miles. This sheen has not been stopped or
contained. Kern County Fire was on scene investigating and at that time the
source is unknown.
State,
Local and other Federal Agency Actions and Roles: California Department
of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) is on scene
as well as the Regional California Water Control Board. The
representatives of owner of the canal are also on scene and have shut off the
water that flows from the Kern River into the canal. The canal while
privately owned does flow into Pozo Creek Downstream from the location of the
oil spill there is at least on water intake for drinking water which has also
been shut off from the canal. The canal also serves as an irrigation
supply to agriculture in the area. The source is unknow but the oil
appears to coming from Tricor Refinery which is directly to the North of the
canal. The PRP has hired an oil spill response organization (OSRO) which
have deployed boom to collect the oil and a work plan will be expected by
Friday to begin immediate subsurface investigation for source identification
and control.
EPA
Actions and Roles: This
incident is within EPA’s response jurisdiction. One OSC are deployed to the
incident to provide technical assistance with the other state and local
agencies and determine if the oil spill affects Waters of the United States
(WOTUS). EPA has also been in contact with Kern County Health in relation
to the threat to drinking water intakes and irrigation intakes from the canal
which are currently shut down.
