EPA and ADEM responded on December 24 to a release of 25 to 50 barrels of crude oil from the Hughes Eastern on shore oil production facility in Beaverton, AL. The oil, combined with stormwater, flowed along a ditch that connects via a culvert to an unnamed tributary of Little Yellow Creek. The Responsible Party (RP) stopped flow from the production well, excavated the damaged pipeline, and used a vac-truck to remove the pooled oil. A series of dams, in combination with sorbent boom, were installed along the ditch and the unnamed tributary. Containment measures appear limited the migration of oil to the unnamed tributary and facilitated collection of the major portion of the spill. EPA required the facility to construct an underflow dam across the ditch to ensure downstream protection. ADEM will oversee excavation of contaminated soil and final monitoring of containment measures implemented along the unnamed tributary. An SPCC inspection was conducted in conjunction with the spill response.
