On August 4, 2024, at 07:48 AM, the National Response
Center notified EPA of an estimated discharge of 4,000-5,000 gallons of oil
from a tank battery in Oak Island, Texas. The presumed cause of the discharge
is a fire started by a lightning strike. The spill occurred on the ground near
a drainage ditch that leads to Trinity Bay, which is classified as a Water of
the United States (WOTUS) and therefore under EPA’s area of responsibility. The
spill is contained within the facility. There have been no observations of
impacted wildlife.
EPA and its technical assistance contractor (START) were
activated and mobilized to the incident as the lead responding agency. Texas
Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and Texas General Land Office(TGLO)
are also on site conducting an assessment. EPA will assess the spill area,
integrate into on-site Unified Command, and provide federal oversight to the
Responsible Party on cleanup actions.
The spill is a medium discharge as defined in § 300.5 of
the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.
Click here to view the StoryMap.
